Three Takeaways: Fowles strikes again as Lynx edge Sun
By Mike Peden
ST. PAUL – The Connecticut Sun threw several proverbial punches at the Minnesota Lynx Tuesday night at Xcel Energy Center. Unfortunately, time was their enemy. Winning a tip-off with 2.2 seconds left in the game, the Sun couldn’t get a shot away before the buzzer, and the Lynx moved to 4-0 with an 80-78 win.
Although Minnesota has been shaky at times in their 4-0 start, the mark of a contender is the ability to close out close games. The Lynx are doing just that, anchored by the incredible interior play of Sylvia Fowles. Connecticut is still young, but their potential is rising in the second year of the Curt Miller regime.
Fowles owns the paint…again
Fowles gives the Lynx a steady dose of production in the low post, and is poised to enter early conversations for MVP. She had 21 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and four assists against Connecticut, and Minnesota needed every last bit of her efforts.
“Syl has grown. I told her…it was outstanding,” Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters after the game.
Three double-doubles in four games is ample proof of such growth. Teammates are happy to feed Fowles the ball down low, even in traffic, thanks to her knack for getting a favorable position on offense. The result is usually a layup, and Tuesday night was no different. Fowles hit 8 of 12 from the floor, continuing to capitalize on her one-on-one match-ups.
“If they want to give me one-on-one, fine. If they want to double, I throw it back out. It’s pretty much pick your poison. You want me to go inside or you want our guards to shoot?” she said.
Defensively, her blocks offered an energetic antidote. Following a first half that Reeve described as flat, the Lynx regrouped in the second with Fowles and Rebekkah Brunson denying the Sun several looks inside. With Fowles keenly aware of the Lynx operation, containing her requires a degree of ingenuity opponents have yet to find.
Three ball, corner pocket
Teams with proven three-point shooters can give the Lynx trouble, and the Sun used the perimeter to take 37-35 halftime lead. A few more in the fourth quarter nearly erased a 13-point deficit, but the Sun came up short.
Overall, Connecticut hit 10 of 20 shots from three-point range. Jasmine Thomas led the assault, knocking down 5-of-7 behind the arc en route to a team-high 18 points. Alex Bentley hit a pair of triples, and Morgan Tuck drilled one with just under 20 seconds left to bring the Sun within two.
Although the aforementioned players struggled to find the basket efficiently, the Sun can move the ball quickly, giving their sharp-shooters time to set up. With Connecticut hosting Minnesota on Friday, look for the Sun to establish a perimeter presence once more.
Pressure cooker
Another way the Sun stayed in contention with the Lynx was ball pressure. Connecticut was relentless in that aspect, scoring 31 points off 22 Minnesota turnovers.
“We like to consider ourselves a defensive team. We have a lot of good players that can pressure the ball, get in passing lanes, get steals and we like to play in transition. The more we can get stops…the better we play together as a team,” Thomas said.
The Sun have the speed to pull off such a strategy, building a 20-8 edge in fast break points. Replicating this feat is not a guarantee for the rematch on Friday, but confidence is rising.
“They learned they can play with anyone. This is a team that we beat twice last year,” Miller said. “Our best days are ahead of us, and we just got to keep grinding.