The Minnesota Lynx entered Sunday’s matchup with the Dallas Wings less than 25 hours after completing a win over the Las Vegas Aces. Kayla McBride had logged a team-high 35 minutes and 17 seconds Saturday, yet the quick turnaround did not stop her from delivering the biggest scoring performance of her career in Minnesota’s 103-90 victory.
McBride scored 43 points and connected on 10 of her 14 attempts from beyond the arc. The 10 makes established a new WNBA single-game record, breaking the previous benchmark of nine. Napheesa Collier assisted on the record-setting basket, finding McBride open in the corner with 2:23 remaining as the Target Center crowd of 14,421 celebrated.
Kayla McBride Reflects on Historic Performance
McBride focused on gratitude when asked about her career night and the history she made.
“I don’t know, I’m just, I’m just grateful. It’s crazy, like, you know, I’ve been in this league for 13 years and choosing to come back here in the offseason, I didn’t know, we didn’t know what it was going to look like,” McBride said during her postgame interview. “And you know, moments like this times like this, you realized, you made the right decision.”
She also explained why her connection to Minnesota has allowed her to play freely.
“Minnesota has become home for me, and I want to give my best,” McBride continued. “And today, you know whether the ball goes in, or whether it doesn’t I feel so much love, and I think that’s why I’m able to come out here and do my thing.”
Nine three-pointers had represented the WNBA’s single-game ceiling since Kelsey Mitchell first reached the number in 2019. Eight other players eventually matched it, including Mitchell, Jewell Loyd, Arike Ogunbowale, Rhyne Howard, Chelsea Gray and Marina Mabrey. Three players joined that group this season after two did so last year.
McBride had previously topped out at eight made threes, reaching that number once in 2024 and again in 2025. Sunday’s showing also returned sole possession of the Lynx franchise mark to McBride after Olivia Miles matched it earlier this season.
The performance carried another place in Minnesota history. McBride became the first Lynx player in 10 years to reach 40 points during a regular-season contest.
Lynx Still Working to Maximize Their Depth
McBride’s workload has extended well beyond the weekend’s back-to-back set. In her 13th WNBA season, the two-way guard ranks third across the league with 1,064 total minutes, trailing only Aces guard Chelsea Gray and Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.
McBride and Miles combined to shoot 7-for-9 from deep during the opening half Sunday, helping Minnesota take a 47-45 advantage into halftime, Star Tribune reports. Their shooting helped offset Dallas’ 21-11 rebounding edge and 24-14 advantage in points scored in the paint through two quarters.
Minnesota has already secured a postseason berth, but its bench usage remains an issue to address over the final 10 games. The Lynx receive a league-low 15.6 points per game from their reserves, who lost the bench-scoring battle 25-6 against Dallas.
“Admittedly, I had a pretty short hook yesterday, and with the starters as well,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said before Sunday’s game. “There were some things that we were not going to accept yesterday, and you can’t be like that every game.”
While Minnesota continues evaluating how to use its depth, McBride gave the team a record-breaking performance after carrying a heavy workload on consecutive days.
Kayla McBride Shatters WNBA 3-Point Record in 43-Point Outburst