Things are starting to get interesting early in the WNBA season.

Sunday in Atlanta, the Lynx took over a tight game with a monster third quarter. Kayla McBride played perhaps the best game of her career, as near to a perfect outing as you might see.

And the Lynx beat the Dream 92-79. The victory gave the Lynx a 4-1 record and gave them back-to-back victories in a rare back-to-back situation.

First, McBride: She scored 31 points, matching her career high and setting her high with the Lynx. She made her first nine shots, her first six three-pointers, her first five free throws.

Then, the Lynx: Up by four after a back-and-forth first half, the Lynx dropped a 26-12 third quarter on the home Dream, getting 10 points from Napheesa Collier and nine from McBride.

Collier finished with 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks. Center Alanna Smith had another strong night, scoring 17 points, hitting three of six threes, with four rebounds and five assists.

Perhaps the only negative? The Lynx's early-season penchant for not holding onto big leads. Up 18 entering the fourth quarter, they allowed the Dream to cut the lead to single digits late in the fourth.

Ryne Howard (20 points) and Tina Charles (14) led the Dream (2-2).

McBride (12) and Smith (10) had 22 of 28 Lynx points in the first quarter, which ended with the visitors up three despite Atlanta's blistering 55.6% shooting.

Atlanta stayed hot in the second quarter, too, making nine of 18 shots overall and three of six three-pointers. And yet the Lynx managed a 51-47 halftime lead thanks to a 7-2 finish to the second quarter.

The Lynx led despite the Dream's shooting because Minnesota held a 10-5 edge on free throws made, a 6-3 edge on points off turnovers and a 9-3 edge on the break at halftime, with McBride and Smith combining for 31 of those 51 points.

In the third quarter, the Lynx — particularly McBride — stayed hot, but clamped down on the Dream.

The result: a 26-12 third quarter in which Collier scored 10, McBride scored nine — remaining perfect for the day — and the Lynx held the Dream to 12 points on 4-for-16 shooting.

The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.