Lynx 86 (1-1) - Sparks 69 (1-1)


PAUL CRARY
Lynx Writer


How it Happened
The Lynx played in front of a large, animated crowd of 10,123 people in their 2011 home-opener at Target Center. The Lynx gave fans plenty to cheer about throughout the afternoon. The Lynx had six double-digit scorers in Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsey Whalen, Monica Wright and Amber Harris. The game was tight throughout the first half, the Lynx went into the locker room at half-time with just a 46-40 lead. The Lynx came storming out of the gate to begin the second half, as they went on a to outscore the Sparks 24-10 in the third quarter. The Lynx went on to cruise to a 86-69 win against the Sparks.

Leader of the Pack
Seimone Augustus started the game �in-the-zone� as she scored nine points in the first six minutes of the game. Augustus continued to be an offensive force throughout the game as she led all scorers with 17 points. Augustus scored in a variety of ways including mid-range pull-up jumpers, drives to the rim, and a three-pointer.

Notable Performance
Many Lynx fans made their way to Target Center for their first chance to see Moore play in a Lynx uniform for the first time. Moore didn�t disappoint, as she gave Lynx fans plenty to cheer about on Sunday afternoon. Moore scored 16 points, including back-to-back three-pointers early in the second half to propel the Lynx on a 20-6 run.

Highlight to Remember
On top of her well documented offensive abilities; Moore showed that she can also be a defensive stopper as well. With 35 seconds left in the second quarter, Sparks forward Tina Thompson attempted a three pointer from the wing, but Moore jumped up and blocked Thompson�s shot into the first few rows of the stands. The crowd immediately rose to their feet and cheered loudly after the block.

The Numbers Game
15: Rebekkah Brunson snagged 15 rebounds Sunday afternoon, on top of scoring 10 points, giving her a double-double. Brunson has now recorded a double-double in each of the first two games of the 2011 WNBA season. Brunson also helped contain Sparks star-forward and former-MVP-winner Candace Parker to just 11 points.

Quotable
"Right now I'm just worried being the best player I can be for this team. Whether that's making a great pass into Rebekkah Brunson so she can score, or setting a good screen for Seimone [Augustus] so she can get open. If other people want to give me those titles or accolades then that's great but my first priority is making sure that I'm getting better every day for this Lynx team," Maya Moore said on whether she can be the best player in the WNBA.


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