Dallas Wings vs Minnesota Lynx: Will Natasha Howard Play in the Much-Anticipated Clash? Prediction, Injury Report and Starting Five

The Dallas Wings will clash with the Minnesota Lynx on Monday at 7 PM CT. The much-anticipated match will take place at the Target Center and will stream on Bally Sports North, Bally Sports Southwest, and NBA TV Canada. The Dallas Wings have a 3-9 tally whereas the Lynx have been performing extremely well with a 10-3 stat.

This game will set the tone for the next games and it will make it clear whether the Wings will make a comeback. The players on whom the game will depend are as follows.

Players to Watch

One of the main players to keep an eye on for the Wings will be guard Teaira McCowan. After Ogunbowale‘s injury, much will rely on her. She has smashed an exhilarating 13.4 points per game with 9 rebounds per match and 2.2 assists per contest. She will take charge of scoring for the Wings and if she gets going, then it will be difficult stopping her.

Another player who can change the game for the Wings is Maddy Siegrist. Siegrist has smoked 14.4 points per game with 3.9 rebounds per match. It is rather unfortunate that the Wings have lost 9 games even though they have one of the best offenses. Hopefully, in this game that will come through and the Wings will be able to trump their opponents.

As for the Lynx, one of the major players to keep an eye on is Napheesa Collier. Collier has thrashed 21.5 points per game and her comparison with Ogunbowale is unavoidable. However, much of the game will depend on who leaps in this game both figuratively and literally. 

However, it is not only Collier who has been performing exceptionally well for the Lynx. Another player who has given her all is Kayla McBride. McBride has thronged 17 points per game with 3.7 assists per match. She can alternate between playing the alpha and the second fiddle and that has worked for the Lynx throughout this season. Fans would be hoping for a similar display from McBride.

Head to Head

As per AiScore, the Wings and the Lynx have clashed against each other for 62 games. The Lynx have had the upper hand in 46 whereas the Wings have won just 16. Therefore as per the head-to-head stat, this game might go in favor of the Lynx.

Prediction

The offensive abilities of both teams are almost the same. They follow the pattern of having an alpha and then having a second fiddle with the other player playing a supporting role. However, with the latest injury to Natasha Howard, there are chances that the Wings might fall flat on defense and that could be a great opportunity for the Lynx to trump their opponents. Since in defense, Howard has been the highest rebounder with 13 rebounds per contest, while the Lynx retain their defensive strength in Collier.

Injury Report

The four players who won’t be able to make this match are Natasha Howard, Arike Ogunbowale, Jaelyn Brown, and Satou Sabally. Ogunbowale is out due to an Achilles injury. Howard has a foot injury as per Rotowire and will be returning most probably on July 1. Meanwhile, Brown has been ill whereas Sabally is out because of a shoulder injury.

The Lynx have injuries in Diamond Miller, Natisha Hiedeman, and Bridget Carleton. While Hiederman could be out due to an ankle injury, Carleton is sidelined due to an elbow injury. Meanwhile, Miller recently had a knee surgery.

Starting 5

Dallas Wings: Kalani Brown, Maddy Siegrist, Teaira McCowan, Monique Billings, Sevgi Uzun

Minnesota Lynx: Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Alanna Smith, Courtney Williams, Dorka Juhasz

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.