Moriah Jefferson’s 2022 season got off to a rough start, as she was waived by the Dallas Wings after just one game, ending her injury-riddled time with the club. She wasn’t without a club for too long, however, as she signed with the Minnesota Lynx. And when the two clubs met on Tuesday night, Jefferson got the last laugh.
Finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, Jefferson made triple-double history as she led the Lynx to a 92-64 rout over her former team. The 10 rebounds tied a career-high for Jefferson, while the 10 assists were a new career-high for the former No. 2 overall pick.
With her first career triple-double, Jefferson became:
- The 10th player in WNBA history to record a triple-double
- The first player in Minnesota Lynx franchise history to record a triple-double
- The first player from UConn to record a triple-double in the WNBA
Considering the legendary players who have suited up for the Lynx and entered the league from UConn, it’s quite an accomplishment for Jefferson to become the first of those players to record a triple-double. And to think, she didn’t even have a team just a few weeks ago.
Jefferson and the Lynx did most of their damage in the first quarter on Tuesday, hitting seven 3-pointers en route to an early 33-11 lead. She made two of those 3s herself, and assisted on three of the others. All told, she either scored or assisted on 17 points in the frame — more than the Wings had as a team.
For the season, Jefferson is now averaging 13.4 points and 5.7 assists per game with the Lynx, while shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point land. She’s been especially impressive over the last week or so, as the Lynx have won three out of their last four games.
After a rough start due in large part to injuries, the Lynx are trying to fight their way back into playoff contention. They still have a lot of work to do, but are suddenly just 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Dream for the No. 8 spot. In truth, they may be better off tanking to get into the Aliyah Boston sweepstakes, but it’s hard to imagine Sylvia Fowles letting that happen in her final season now that she’s back on the court.
