The Lynx got a big win in Atlanta on Tuesday night, righting the ship after a disappointing first game back from the All-Star break. It was the Lynx All-Stars who led the way against the Dream, with Sylvia Fowles, Napheesa Collier and Odyssey Sims all turning in great performances. It was also Seimone Augustus’ first game back this season and her steadying presence was obviously beneficial. Here’s what I noticed…

Napheesa Collier’s Night To Remember

While Collier isn’t always a scorer, she always impacts the game in many different ways. However, the nights when her scoring is there are truly special. Every once in a while, Collier turns in the type of multi-faceted game that makes it clear that she’s on track to become one of the best all-around players in the league.

The rookie, who should certainly be considered the frontrunner for WNBA Rookie Of The Year award, scored 22 points and added 11 rebounds, five assist and a steal. She shot 57.1 percent from the field, hit both of her three-point attempts and all four of her free-throw attempts and turned the ball over just one time. That is not the kind of stat line you expect from a rookie.

To be honest, that’s not the kind of stat line you expect from anyone. With her performance on Tuesday, Collier became the fourth and youngest player in team history to turn in a 20/10/5 game. There have only been 14 such games in Lynx history, with Maya Moore accounting for nine of them. Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles account for the other four. Talk about putting yourself next to some greats.

It was Collier’s play that helped the Lynx overcome one of their most persistent problems—finishing games. Collier was magnificent down the stretch, putting the Lynx on her back and scoring 13 points in the final quarter and leading Minnesota to a 30-12 fourth quarter victory. Collier is the future of the Lynx and right now that future looks very bright.

The Lynx’s Physicality 

This is a big one because it has a snowball effect on the rest of the game. The Lynx are at their best when they rebound the ball well and get to the line. They did both at a high level on Tuesday, out-rebounding the Dream 45-36 and shooting 27 free-throws as a team.

The free-throws are especially important for Minnesota because they serve as a safety valve for when other things aren’t going as well. The Lynx offense was slow to start; they shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half. However, the way they got to the line kept them in it—Minnesota took 13 free throws and made 11 of them, keeping them in lockstep with the Dream while they worked to get their offense producing again.

Much of the Lynx’s free-throw shooting comes from Odyssey Sims. Sims absolutely lives at the line when she is playing her best but hadn’t had more than four free-throw attempts in a contest since June 30. On Tuesday she got to the line 13 times and converted nine of those attempts—a huge boost for Minnesota.

O got the invite and RSVP'd a +1 ✉️ pic.twitter.com/FsO6uX9Hkf

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 6, 2019

Free-throws have been an up-and-down battle for Minnesota this year because of how the paint is being officiated. Sylvia Fowles hasn’t been getting as many calls as she is used to and the refs are allowing a lot more contact in the paint between post players. However, figuring out how that formula has changed and using it to their advantage will be critical for any team that expects to make a deep playoff run. Tuesday night’s performance was a big step in the right direction.

Seimone Augustus Returns… And Things Get Shuffled

Augustus didn’t light the world on fire in her return (that was Collier’s job on Tuesday), but she was very solid and having her scoring ability, size and veteran leadership on the floor is clearly going to help Minnesota.

Augustus finished with eight points and four assists in the win, playing a little over 21 minutes. With Augustus taking up that time at the guard spot, Danielle Robinson moved to the bench and played well, scoring nine points and three assists, and Lexie Brown saw her minutes reduced, playing just 13 and missing all three of her shots. She did have three assists and a steal.

how 'bout that for a season debut? pic.twitter.com/blJB4j5eDG

— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) August 7, 2019

This rotation isn’t set in stone. Head coach Cheryl Reeve is more than comfortable riding the hot hand on any given night and there will inevitably be days Augustus plays more and days she plays less. However, having her full rotation of guards to swap in and out is a huge benefit for the Lynx—one they haven’t really had since the beginning of the 2018 season.

The Lynx have a guard and wing rotation full of players who can do many different things and play a couple positions. When everyone is healthy and firing on all cylinders, this is a Lynx roster with very few real holes. There is still work to be done, but this season could have a very exciting homestretch.