It was only preseason, but the Minnesota Lynx started the 2017 campaign about as well as they could have hoped for, coming away with a 113-67 home win over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night at the Xcel Energy Center.
“I think tonight went about as well as it could in terms of things we were trying to get done with our starting group and certainly giving quality minutes to everybody and give everyone a decent look. I thought everybody did something great,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said after the game.
Natasha Howard led the Lynx with 19 points, while Rebekkah Brunson added 14. Rookie Alexis Jones scored 12 off the bench, while Shao Ting and Temi Fagbenle scored 10 each.
Bria Holmes led Atlanta with 13 points. Darxia Morris and Brittney Skyes scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Numbers Game
- The two teams shot well from the 3-point line, shooting a combined 15-for-40 from deep.
- The Lynx outrebounded the Dream 44-26.
- Turnovers were big. The Lynx turned it over just nine times, while forcing 14 from Atlanta.
Player Of The Game
Howard only played 13 minutes and 48 seconds, but finished with a team-high 19 points to go with three rebounds, one assist and one steal while shooting an efficient 4-for-5 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Up Next
The Lynx are back at it on Monday at Washington. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. It will be the second and final preseason game for the club.