The Seattle Storm were looking to continue their winning streak and making a steady climb in the standings and the Commissioner’s Cup race. The Minnesota Lynx needed a bounce-back win to keep in the running for the Cup and avoid losing back-to-back games. In the previous losses, the Lynx earned decisive double-digit wins, showing a resilience that has become part of their trademark this season. The air was thick with anticipation.
Section 111 was ready for a win. Even though the Lynx defense was not as sharp as we’ve seen, and Seattle seemed too intent on not losing rather than winning, the Lynx managed to hang on to take the first quarter. The second quarter saw the Lynx build a little on their lead, but still without the defensive crispness they needed.
Each team continued their less-than-effective shooting, but Seattle eventually took some control and went on a 14-0 run until Courtney Williams hit a jumper. The Lynx managed to keep the game within reach and were only down by five at the half.
Minnesota Lynx and its Defense in the Second Half
After halftime, the Lynx came back with the defense that has worked so well this season. They outscored Seattle 23-11 in the third and 24-12 in the fourth. Seattle went scoreless for the final two minutes of the game, and Minnesota, up 78-64, added five more to end the game at 83-64.
There were times when each team looked frustrated and a little chippy, which resulted in a technical free throw for the Lynx. After Napheesa Collier‘s jumper at 1:12, the subs came in for each team, and Sika Koné added a two-point bucket just for good measure.
WINNING FEELS SO GOOD. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/jJ3NbLQn96— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) June 10, 2024
Kayla McBride, who dropped eight threes at Phoenix, added seven more against Seattle. The Lynx went 12-22 from deep, compared to Seattle’s 4-22. Seattle only shot 34.7% going 26-75, while the Lynx shot 45.0%, making 27-60. The Minnesota Lynx also had 25 assists compared to Seattle’s 12.
Lynx Rookie Making an Impact
While enough can’t be said about the contributions from McBride and Collier, not enough is said about Olivia Époupa, one of a few 30-year-old “rookies” in the league this year. The minute Époupa walks on the floor, the intensity is immediately ramped up. Oli, as she is referred to by her teammates, brings speed and craftiness to the game and makes an immediate impact. In 14 minutes, she grabbed eight rebounds, seven assists, a steal, and two points.
But her contribution goes way beyond the stat line. With all the European experience she brings with her, and having played with or against many of the other players on the court, there is no timidity whatsoever, and it appears that Olivia has adapted to the WNBA style of play rather seamlessly.
Jewell Loyd‘s game is definitely what keeps Seattle in the race. Jewel is relentless and never stops fighting. She is flat-out fun to watch, even as an opposing player. But as we saw in this game, she couldn’t do it all by herself. Ending with 25 points, Nneka Ogwumike was the only other player who got to double digits with 14. Neither Ezi Magbegor nor Skylar Diggins-Smith were significant factors.
The Seattle bench was basically ineffective, with only Jordan Horton scoring 9. After this game, one might wonder how Seattle managed a six-game winning streak. Obviously, everyone who needed to step up did so. Just not against the Lynx. Seattle knew what they were going to have to do, and for a few brief minutes, they did it. The Lynx also knew what they needed to do, and save for those few lapses when they didn’t perform as they would have liked, they accomplished the task at hand, and by the end, quite handily.
What’s Next for the Storm and Lynx?
Up next for Seattle is a home game with the Sparks, who will be coming off an impressive win over Las Vegas. Each team has beaten the Aces, so let’s see which Ace Beater prevails. The Lynx travel to meet said Aces in Las Vegas on Tuesday. I for one am eager to see how wounded the beast is and if the Lynx can build on what they just accomplished.
Stopping A’ja Wilson is key, and if Jackie Young returns, doubly so. But the Aces have shown their vulnerability, and the Lynx will need all defensive engines firing in synch to beat them. Difficult? Yes. Impossible? Not at all.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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