7/5: Lynx Defeat Chicago, Improve To 15-3

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 5: Janel McCarville #4 of the Minnesota Lynx shoots against the Chicago Sky during the game on July 5, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tuesday’s matchup between the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky proved to be everything the WNBA could have hoped for as Maya Moore and Elena Delle Donne went blow-for-blow, scoring a combined 71 points.

“They’re great players,” Chicago head coach Pokey Chatman said afterward.

“Maya’s an MVP. Elena is an MVP. They’re Olympians. Their play is different but it’s still impactful. To know that the other team is scheming for you and you still have the ability to be relevant and also be damn good, it speaks volume for your play.”

Delle Donne, the reigning league MVP, scored 38 points on 11-of-15 shooting (5-of-6 3PM-A, 11-of-11 FT) and grabbed 11 assists in what was ultimately a losing effort. Moore, who received MVP honors in 2014, scored 33 points (12-of-18 FG, 6-of-9 3PM-A, 3-of-3 FT) to go with her six rebounds as the Lynx defeated Chicago, 87-82.

Sylvia Fowles logged 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in 35 minutes of playing time.

Seimone Augustus, who averaged four points over the previous four matchups, enjoyed a bounceback game as she posted 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting. It was apparent that the Lynx had made a concerted effort to get her involved early — the box score reflects this, as Augustus put up 14 points in the first half.

Janel McCarville posted a team-high plus-minus of positive-15 without scoring a point. The former Minnesota Golden Gopher turned No. 1 overall draft pick made some flashy passes, dishing out six assists over the course of 18 minutes while also collecting three rebounds. Watch all of McCarvell’s assists in the video below, if it please you.

Chicago’s Courtney Vandersloot left the game during the first quarter after suffering an ankle injury. Vandersloot thus far this season has dished out 4.5 assists per game, a mark that ranks fifth among qualifying players.

With 5:55 remaining to play in the third quarter, Chicago led by the score of 60-52 after the Lynx had committed five turnovers within the first four minutes of the second half. Having watched Delle Donne score 25 points in the first two quarters, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve needed to do something to slow her down.

Enter Maya Moore.

Moore did a solid job of defending Delle Donne down the stretch while continuing to produce at the offensive end, scoring 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the fourth quarter. Her three pointer that put the Lynx ahead 85-80 with just under a minute to play proved to be the proverbial dagger, which ended Chicago’s chances at escaping Target Center with a victory.

“When Maya had a chance to guard [Delle Donne], it really got Maya going,” Reeve said during her postgame presser.

“It got her kind of amped up for the challenge. I don’t know how many Delle Donne ended up scoring against Maya – it wasn’t very much and then Maya got going offensively which was really, really important for us.”

 

Next up: The Lynx go on the road to take on the Connecticut Sun this Thursday, July 7.

 

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MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 5: Janel McCarville #4 of the Minnesota Lynx shoots against the Chicago Sky during the game on July 5, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

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