Lynx 96 (4-1) - Dream 85 (1-4)
PAUL CRARY
Lynx Writer
How it Happened:
The Lynx were able to overcome a physical and scrappy Atlanta Dream team en route to a 96-85 victory on Friday night at Target Center. With the victory, the Lynx have now won four straight games, and currently hold a 4-1 record.
The Lynx proved that they have the ability to adapt against opponents that want to play more physically. The Dream committed 24 fouls and the Lynx made them pay at the free throw line by scoring 23 points at the charity stripe.
While the game was more physical when the game was slowed down, the Lynx pushed the ball when the opportunity presented itself. The Lynx scored 27 fast break points. Lindsay Whalen directed the Lynx efficient offensive attack throughout the night. The Minnesota native handed out eight assists on top of scoring a season-high 16 points, tying her season high. The Lynx shot over 50% from the floor, a result of the Lynx pushing the ball up the court and getting favorable looks at the basket before the Dream could set-up their defense. Seimone Augustus had the best shooting-night of her 2011 WNBA season, as she poured in 25 points, going an effective 9-14 from the field.
The Dream stuck around for most of the night, as the Lynx were only up by six points with under three minutes to play in regulation. The Lynx had trouble containing Dream forward Angel McCoughtry as she had a game-high 27 points, along with eight rebounds on the night.
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Lindsay Whalen has been a catalyst for the Lynx early success. Friday night was no different, as she wowed the Target Center crowd with her precision passing abilities and her toughness around the rim to finish over Atlanta�s tall defensive players. Whalen had 16 points and eight assists but what may be most impressive is that she only turned the ball over one time in nearly 30 minutes of play. Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve has taken note of her starting point guard's play.
�We talk about how well Brunson is playing, I think Lindsay Whalen is playing equally as well. Whether it�s taking care of the ball, making shots. We went to her a couple of times late and she made some big, big buckets for us. It�s a great comfort as a coach, I know that when she has it, the right thing is going to happen most of the time,� Reeve said after the game.
Highlight of the Night
With just under five minutes to play in the second half, Rebekkah Brunson pulled down one of her 14 rebounds and made a nice out-let pass to Lindsay Whalen near half court. Whalen took one dribble to juke a defender and made a strong, cross-court chest pass to a streaking Maya Moore for the easy lay-up. The whole play took less than five seconds to complete and brought Lynx fans to their feet.
Numbers Game
Rebekkah Brunson was named the Western Conference player of the week last week and has thrown into early-season MVP conversations. She added to her portfolio of monster games on Friday night as she scored 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Brunson has recorded a double-double in each of the first five games of the WNBA season.
A Who�s-Who at Target Center
Minnesota fans were thrilled to see some local familiar faces come and support their favorite WNBA team. Former Timberwolves superstar and future NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett sat courtside for the Lynx game on Friday Night. The Big Ticket wasn�t the only celebrity in the stands Friday night. Former Minnesota Governor Jesse �The Body� Ventura sat next to Garnett throughout the game. Garnett was also accompanied by his Timberwolves teammate Troy Hudson. Minnesota Vikings defensive end Ray Edwards was also spoted at the game.
Looking Ahead
The Lynx will try to repeat their Friday night success as they play the Dream again on Sunday at 3 PM in Atlanta. As always the game can be seen live on WNBA Live Access.
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