Lynx All-Stars Shine in Win Over Dallas

The Minnesota Lynx are sending a league-high four players and head coach Cheryl Reeve to Seattle for Saturday’s All-Star game. The four stars combined for 66 points on 25-of-41 shooting in Minnesota’s 100-74 win over the Dallas Wings Wednesday at Xcel Energy Center.

Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore were selected as starters, Seimone Augustus was selected as a reserve and Rebekkah Brunson was named the replacement Wednesday morning for injured Brittney Griner.

The win came in front of an announced sellout crowd of 17,834 which at times sounded like 15,000 kids and some very busy chaperones.

“Youthful” was the word Moore used to describe the energy in the building. “I can still hear thankfully. When I was looking around, I just had to smile to see all of the kids who were able to see us play.”

Minnesota opened the game with a favorable start, as it scored on its first six possessions to jump ahead to an early 15-8 lead.

Thanks to a 10-2 run, Dallas trimmed the Lynx lead to four points at 25-21 with 35 seconds left in the opening quarter. After a pair of free throws from Renee Montgomery, Minnesota got a defensive stop that Montgomery turned into a nifty finish at the basket on the other end. Jia Perkins then stole the Wings inbound pass and ended the quarter with an easy layup.

Just like that, the Lynx had regained their double-digit lead at 31-21.

Minnesota used that momentum to build a lead as large as 20 points in the second quarter and eventually went to the locker room holding a 54-40 lead.

Dallas was able to hang around and keep the game relatively close for most of the third quarter. The Lynx came out of a timeout and ended the quarter on an 11-0 run to secure their largest lead up to that point at 76-55.

Moore ended the third quarter with a 3-pointer from the corner and added another to start the fourth quarter. Montgomery followed with a triple of her own to extend the lead to 25 points and squash any hopes Dallas had of making a comeback.

“We played off of our defense,” Moore said. “We know what kind of team this is. We know they like to attack the rim, so our team defense concepts really propelled us into transition.”

The Wings were held to 34.7 percent shooting as a team and only managed 28 points in the paint.

Moore finished with 23 points and nine rebounds on 9-15 shooting in 26 minutes. Fowles led all scorers with 24 points and 12 rebounds on 10-of-11 shooting.

“I just tried to take the easy route,” Fowles said. “If I was open, I would shoot. If I wasn’t, I would find a teammate who was. My coaches want me to be patient.”

In three games against Dallas this season, Fowles is averaging 27.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game while shooting 71.1 percent from the floor.

“I thought they would have came with something different, but they didn’t,” Fowles said. “You just have to take what comes to you.”

Through the first half of the season, the Lynx center stands out across the league as a MVP candidate. While it is a goal of her’s, she and the team both have their minds on something bigger.

“I don’t think there has been anyone as dominant and as consistent as Syl,” Reeve said. “If the vote was today, I don’t think it would even be close. We talk about goals at the beginning of the season and then we put them in the drawer. We don’t look up and keep working toward the goal.”

“I think about it because people talk about it, but I don’t focus on it,” Fowles said. “If I take care of the little things, the bigger picture will take care of itself.”

Augustus was the lone All-Star for Minnesota to fail to reach double figures, but she led the way with nine assists to go with her seven points.

Dallas guard Skylar Diggins-Smith led the Wings 23 points, while adding nine assists. It was her fifth consecutive game scoring 20 or more points.

The 100 points tied Minnesota’s season-high.

Minnesota enters the break with its best start in franchise history at 16-2.

“If you ask them about the two games we lost, it still eats at them,” Reeve said. “That’s the craziest thing about this group. They’re so competitive.”

“We’re no doubt pleased with our record,” Moore added. “We want to celebrate that for sure, but we cannot take anything for granted.”

The Lynx will return from the All-Star break next Tuesday when they host the New York Liberty at 7:00 PM.

What Went Wrong For the Lynx In 2022?
By Mitchell Hansen - Aug 25, 2022
Are the Lynx Actually In Danger Of Missing the Playoffs?
By Mitchell Hansen - Aug 2, 2022

A Mid-Season Turnaround Has the Lynx Back In the Playoff Picture

Following a late-June game against the Dallas Wings at Target Center, Aerial Powers displayed optimism about the Minnesota Lynx being able to turn what had been a […]

Continue Reading