Takeaways: Fowles leads full-throttle Lynx win over Fever
By Mike Peden
MINNEAPOLIS — A win over the Indiana Fever may not settle a rattled fan base much, but for the Minnesota Lynx, they got a much-needed morale boost.
Sylvia Fowles fueled an 89-65 wire-to-win for the Lynx Wednesday afternoon at Target Center, resulting in many shrieks from the Camp Day crowd of 17,933. To say the locker room vibe was brighter after an ugly loss to Connecticut on Sunday would be an understatement.
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“It’s a good thing that we’ve got a lot of veterans, where you can go back and watch film and have conversations with each other,” Fowles told reporters after the game.
For her part, Fowles had 30 points and 16 rebounds. Not too shabby for someone who doesn’t brim with excitement over matinee games.
“Normally, I struggle on days like this. I make sure I wake up (with) just enough time to eat and get on the floor,” she said.
And get on the floor she did. Positioning herself deep inside the post, Fowles had plenty of pointblank looks without any double-teams to worry about. The result? A spiffy 13 of 15 from the floor.
“I’m at my best when I can move from post to high to running the floor in transition. When we get those things going early, things typically work in my favor,” she said.
They definitely worked in Minnesota’s (13-10) favor. A 9-2 run to start the game and a 10-0 run to start the second quarter snuffed out any hint of another upset from the Fever (2-21).
While Fowles piled up points down low, her old college pal, Seimone Augustus, handled the perimeter in the first half. Augustus hit her first five shots without missing, including three triples. All 13 of her points came in the first half, solid optics for a figure who earned her 11th All-Star selection on Tuesday.
“That was just being the beneficiary of help defense leaving her,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
Minnesota’s bench followed up in the second half, and outscored Indiana’s reserves 34-15 overall. Highlighting the second group was Erlana Larkins. With a line of 4 points, 6 rebounds and a career-high 8 assists, Larkins showcased her utility as she continues to play on a seven-day contract.
“She’s just confident and does things deliberately, and she’s a great screen setter and is a willing passer,” said Lynx forward Maya Moore.
Long-time fans may remember Larkins as the darling of the 2012 playoffs, serving an integral role that led the Fever to a surprising WNBA title run. She stayed with Indiana through last year, but she was released at the end of training camp in May.
Larkins is no stranger to the Lynx, facing them twice in the WNBA Finals. With the Lynx struggling to find a consistent post presence off the bench, Larkins has the tools to provide one on short notice. Against Indiana, Reeve was impressed by the defensive synergy Larkins had with Fowles. As the playoff push continues, if Larkins hangs around, Reeve sees even more ways the 32-year-old could contribute.
“What I’ve noticed about Erlana, from the time that she stepped on the court with our team, she only knows one way,” Reeve said. “Her motor is really high. Her will is really high. Her awareness for help defense, her pick-and-roll defense…those are all things that win games.”