Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
Twitter
The Minnesota Lynx are off to yet another stellar start to a season, currently holding an undefeated record of 7-0, their longest streak to start a season since going 13-0 to begin the 2016 season.
Although the Lynx have been dominant in many aspects of their game so far this year, Minnesota’s defense has been a tough task for opposing teams to deal with thus far.
Almost a month and a half into the season, the Lynx statistically have one of the top defenses in the entire WNBA.
Entering Tuesday, Minnesota ranks first in the WNBA in points allowed per game (72.6), first in steals (8.7), tied for second in free throws allowed (17) and tied for fifth in opponent field goal percentage (41.5 percent). The Lynx also currently have a rebounding percentage of 54.7 percent, which is the best in the league.
The Lynx have held their opponents under 80 points in six of their seven games this season. Dallas is the only team to have scored more than 80 points against Minnesota, finishing with 87 points on May 20.
“We’ve got players playing really well. We have Sylvia Fowles playing some of the best basketball of her career, I think Seimone (Augustus) has looked great and has helped us through,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “This is a veteran team. . . We’re having fun. This is a group that has been together a long time and this just never gets old to us.”
Being strong defensively is nothing new for the Lynx, who are coming off of a 2016 season where they were yet again one of the league’s best defensive teams.
A season ago, Minnesota allowed the fewest rebounds per game (30.7), ranked second in points allowed (77), second in opponent field goal percentage (41.7 percent) and recorded 8.2 steals a game, which ranked third.
There’s no question the Lynx have kicked off a season on the right foot once again. And although they are playing well in many aspects, Minnesota’s defense has continued to be a headache for opposing teams.
As the last remaining undefeated team in the WNBA, you’d expect that team to be well-rounded and leading the WNBA in numerous categories. Well, that perfectly describes the Lynx so far in 2017.
Two Road Games Before Returning Home
The Lynx will hit the road for two more road games before they return to Minnesota to play in front of their home crowd.
On Friday, the Lynx will travel to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Mystics at 6 p.m. at Verizon Center. On Sunday, Minnesota will wrap up its current three-game road trip when it takes on the Dallas Wings at 3:30 p.m. at College Park Center.
The Lynx will then return to St. Paul when they host the Connecticut Sun at 7 p.m. June 17 at Xcel Energy Center. That game will be aired on Fox Sports North Plus and 106.1 BOB FM.