Kayla McBride stars as Lynx enter Olympic break with win over Dream

The Lynx are headed into the Olympic break on a high note. Kayla McBride scored 30 points, Natisha Hiedeman had 16 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter, and Alanna Smith stuffed the stat sheet as Minnesota staved off the lowly Atlanta Dream in an 86-79 victory at Target Center on Wednesday.

Playing for the fifth consecutive game without leading scorer and rebounder Napheesa Collier (foot), the Lynx found themselves trailing by four after three quarters against a team that had lost 14 of its last 17 games. That's when Hiedeman turned it on, hitting three triples and six total field goals as the Lynx won the final quarter 30-19. It was a season-high in scoring for Hiedeman, who was acquired in a trade with the Connecticut Sun this offseason.

With the Lynx leading 82-79, McBride drove to the rim for a contested layup that gave her team some breathing room with 19 seconds on the clock. After a Dream miss, she iced the game with two free throws to reach the 30-point mark for the third time this season. McBride, who has stepped in as the Lynx's No. 1 option with Collier out, went 9-for-17 from the field and hit four threes. The 32-year-old veteran is shooting over 42 percent from deep on the season.

Smith was also important in the victory, racking up 13 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Courtney Williams had 9 assists for Minnesota. The Lynx shot under 39 percent from the field, but decisively won the turnover battle and the three-point battle against the Dream.

Collier left the Lynx's July 4th loss against the Sun with a foot injury. After winning their first two games without their best player, the Lynx had lost two in a row before Wednesday's victory. They're 17-8 and tied for third place in the WNBA standings as they head into the month-long Olympic break. Minnesota's next game will come against the Washington Mystics on August 15th.