On Sunday afternoon, the Minnesota Lynx played the Washington Mystics in front of 4,524 hyped-up fans at the Rochester Civic Center.
The result wasn’t what the Lynx wanted as they fell 85-68. While the players were disappointed with the overall performance by the team, they were thrilled and amazed by the fan support in Rochester.
“Man, I’m happy,” center Sylvia Fowles said. “Our fans came out and showed a lot of love. I didn’t know we were going to have a packed house. Unfortunately we couldn’t give them a better outcome but this is a learning point for us to get back and work on it before Saturday.”
Lindsay Whalen, a Hutchinson native, thanked fans after the game for showing up and the team also took pictures with fans and signed autographs after the fact.
“They were great,” Whalen said of the fans. “… That was really great to see some of the awesome fans. They really came out and supported, so I’m glad that we came down here.”
It was a busy weekend for the Lynx. They held a practice on Saturday, along with a free basketball clinic. The coaching staff also held a free coaching clinic for youth coaches. The end result wasn’t what the team wanted, but to get that kind of support for a preseason game is pretty remarkable.
“What a great turnout,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Overall, a really good weekend here in Rochester, so we still consider it a success, despite not getting the W for the fans. All in all, a good weekend here.”