Kayla McBride

Bruised, banged up, and battling through a challenging noon tipoff during the WNBA’s final game before the Olympic break, the Minnesota Lynx and Atlanta Dream — for three quarters — traded blows in a duel that offered little offensive rhythm and separation. On the night’s most must-have possession, Kayla McBride found a way to discover both simultaneously. Understandably the focus of Atlanta’s defense during the game-deciding sequence, McBride gets creative, working a pass-and-cut before using a rare off-ball crossover-type maneuver to break free of Maya Caldwell's resistance. With only a strong, successful drive separating her Lynx from success, McBride brings craftiness, scooping a circus finish over Rhyne Howard’s outstretched frame. McBride’s heroics, alongside her teammate’s 16-point final quarter, helped Minnesota survive a five-game absence without their All-Star leader. It also marked an uncommon occurrence in which the Lynx were vastly outshot (38.7 percent vs. Atlanta’s 49.2 percent), yet still found victory on July 17, 2024. A bright spot during the offensively-challenged matinee, McBride offered 30 points on remarkable efficiency from the field (9-of-17), from deep (4-of-8), and from the charity stripe (8-of-9).