Three Takeaways: Lynx pass litmus test with win over Sparks
By Mike Peden
ST. PAUL-The long awaited rematch of the Los Angeles Sparks and Minnesota Lynx, last year’s finalists, produced plenty of fireworks.
Over 9,800 watched the Lynx hold off several Sparks rallies for an 88-77 win Thursday night at Xcel Energy Center. Although this meeting was just the first of three for the regular season, Minnesota’s win cements their front-runner status for now. As the Lynx have demonstrated repeatedly in 2017, their versatility is nearly unrivaled.
Renee’s big day
Renee Montgomery had a scene-stealing performance Thursday night for Minnesota (13-1), scoring 20 points off the bench. In her first 20-point game since September 2012, Montgomery had momentum on her side.
“I was hoping a big game (was) coming,” she told reporters after the game. “I was just happy for some consecutive shots to go in.”
Montgomery started things off by knocking down her first three triples, helping the Lynx build a 19-point lead by the midway point of the second quarter. When the Sparks closed the deficit, Montgomery answered with some big plays in the second half, including a three to beat the buzzer at the end of the third quarter. 20-point games may not be the norm for the 30-year-old, but her stat line is a reminder that Minnesota’s threats go beyond the starting five.
Maya Moore, a former teammate of Montgomery at UConn, would concur.
“I felt like we were back in college just watching her go to work. She just played with a lot of confidence and bounce in her step,” Moore said.
Nneka’s ‘purple rain’
As noted earlier, the Sparks (12-4) clawed their way back from a 19-point deficit to make things interesting. Nneka Ogwumike took charge in the second quarter, scoring 11 points in a 16-3 run for the Sparks. She finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds, both game highs.
“I was just trying to do my best, just trying to get my team second chances and be as aggressive as I could,” she said.
Unfortunately, help for Ogwumike was limited. Chelsea Gray added 16 points, but no other Sparks player reached double-digits in scoring. Candace Parker, last year’s Finals MVP, was little more than a bystander, getting just two points in 31 minutes of action.
There’s no telling what might have changed had Parker got more looks, but look for the Sparks to increase her involvement for the next meeting with the Lynx.
Fowles muscles through again
Lynx center Sylvia Fowles is this year’s front-runner for MVP, and a big reason for that is her ability to adjust to double and triple coverage thrown her way. Thursday night was the latest example of her acumen.
Fowles struggled early, including a stretch in the second quarter where she committed three straight turnovers against Sparks double teams. The scheme was reminiscent of last year’s Finals, designed to prevent Minnesota’s most accurate shooter from getting too many high-percentage shots.
“I don’t know who was more excited, me or Syl, for this game to show how far she’s come,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “We didn’t have that last year. We didn’t have the ability to run so many plays at Syl. She made a statement today.”
That statement came in the second half as Fowles figured out how to maneuver through the double teams. She finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season.
“I felt I was getting some good looks in the first half…but my teammates agreed that I was rushing. So second half, I took it two notches down,” she said.
Stopping Fowles is an imperative for any Lynx opponent, but as she has proven all season, there is no easy solution to do so.