Here in the office, armed with a plate of chicken wings and some icy cold sparkling water, I sat back in a chair in dire need of replacement to watch the first contest between the Lynx and the Sparks. The Minnesota Lynx rolled into Los Angeles Sparks with a few goals in mind: 1 – a third consecutive win; 2 – regular season win #307 for Cheryl Reeve, which would put her ahead of Bill Laimbeer to second place in the winningest WNBA coach column; 3 – win a second Commissioner’s Cup game. Mission accomplished, but not without a few bumps along the way.
The Lynx held the Sparks to 26.0% shooting, and 14.3% from three, while shooting 49.2% and 39.1% from three. Not bad at all. Minnesota held rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson to two points each, with Brink eventually fouling out in the fourth quarter.
Abundant fouls have plagued Brink since her Stanford days, and that may be her Achille’s heel until she is more comfortable with the style and pace of play in the W. Brink only played 16 minutes and Jackson 14, as Curt Miller tried to find more effective offense, which was in short supply.
It seems now that nine 3-pointers is an off night for the Lynx, having become a much-improved team from deep. Bridget Carleton went 4-4, Cecilia Zandalasini 2-2, and Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams each contributed one. An off-night for McBride from three, but with Zandalasini now having found her range, and Juhász more consistent (although she didn’t make an attempt in this game), the onus is no longer solely on McBride.
The Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks Each Held Their Own
The Lynx maintained a healthy lead through two and a half quarters until the shooting went cold and the Sparks found some range. After securing a 28-point lead, the Sparks went on a 10-0 run to end the third quarter. The shooting stopped as did the defense for the Lynx, something they have prided themselves on this season.
The Sparks got as close as 12 points in the fourth quarter. However, the Lynx then went on a 16-4 run, solidly putting the game away, capping the game with a pair of threes, one from Carleton and one from Zandalasini.
What impresses me is the resilience the Lynx shows when faced with offensive or defensive dips. These are storms that in previous seasons were the obstacles the Lynx often couldn’t overcome. As well as they are playing right now, there is still plenty of room for improvement, on both the offensive and defensive sides. Turnovers will always be a focus, as well as giving up points in the paint. But this particular team never stops working and never stops looking for improvement.
WEST COAST DUB. 🌴 pic.twitter.com/QqXQSDtcK0
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 6, 2024
They do not settle or resign themselves to anything. That speaks to the chemistry as well as the winning mentality that the Lynx have shown and will continue to show.
Sparks Roster Is Not Without Talent
The Sparks are not a team without talent. One can look down the roster and see the potential. Dearica Hamby has provided the much-needed offense. Experienced vets Layshia Clarendon, Kia Nurse, and Steph Talbot have the skills to be contributing scorers. In fact, there is no one on the Sparks roster that, as far as I’m concerned, shouldn’t be there. The rookies will eventually adjust, and hopefully, Brink will figure out how to stay out of foul trouble.
But whatever the unknowns are for Los Angeles, it is going to take a collaborative effort to uncover them. Also, find ways to overcome them. By the same token, the Lynx are going to need to find a way to get past teams like Las Vegas and Connecticut. There is no single deficiency that is keeping them from doing that. Perhaps it is more attention to detail. When playing those teams, they know what they are going to get.
There is no mystery in it at all. DeWanna Bonner and Alyssa Thomas for the Sun, A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, and Kelsey Plum for the Aces. When the Lynx play the Sparks next on June 14 at Target Center, they will have to be mindful of what didn’t work in Los Angeles and rectify that in Minneapolis. The Sparks will have to contend with a hostile (or as hostile as anything gets in Minnesota) environment at Target Center. This isn’t the old Lynx/Sparks rivalry, but don’t tell that to the Minnesota fans.
What’s Next For The Minnesota Lynx?
Speaking of hostile environments, the Lynx play next at Phoenix on Friday. The Mercury will be looking to avenge their loss at Target Center, and the Lynx will look to build on their successes. The Sparks will next play host to the Dallas Wings, looking to stop the current three-game slide.
The Wings will be coming off of a loss to Las Vegas and will be looking for redemption. Given the structure of this season and the close proximity of games, no team has it easy. How that continues to affect each team remains to be seen. I do not doubt that for some, the Olympic break can’t come soon enough.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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