The question mark, at least from the outside, going into the season for the Minnesota Lynx was the depth at the post position.

Rebekkah Brunson and Asjha Jones had injury issues, while Damiris Dantas was still a young and unproven player.

Those three players answered any questions fans and media members might have early and often on Thursday night against the Seattle Storm, as they combined for 22 points and 10 rebounds in the first half at the Target Center.

That would help set the tone for what would be a 94-70 win over the Storm.

It’s worth noting that it was Jones’s first game with the Lynx after practicing in full for the first time on Wednesday.

“(Jones) did exactly what we thought she would do,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve after the game. “… As far as her game, it doesn’t take very long to watch (Jones) to know what she brings to the table. You saw a little bit of everything.”

That performance certainly did a lot for the Lynx, being as a team, Minnesota scored just 39 points in the first 20 minutes.

 

Defense was also a strong point for the Lynx, which is something that certainly excited the defensive-minded Reeve. Minnesota held Seattle to under 30 points for the first 21 minutes.

There just wasn’t much of a punch from the Storm in the second half and there was never really a feeling that the Lynx would lose this game.

It also didn’t hurt that Minnesota’s bench finished with 46 points. Sharpshooter Tricia Liston had a game-high 15 of those points, shooting 4-of-7 from deep in 19 minutes.

“I thought I got some good looks when the defense was collapsing,” Liston said. “My teammates were finding me on the outside, so I think it was a credit to them for getting me such wide-open looks.”

Only two players hit double-digits for the Storm. Veteran Sue Bird finished with 12 points, while Renee Montgomery added 10.

Tonight also marked Maya Moore’s 26^th birthday. It wasn’t a great night for Moore, as she finished with just seven points and seven rebounds. Rookie guard Jennifer O’Neill added 12 points, as did Brunson. Dantas scored 10 points.

The Lynx shot 53 percent (35-of-66) from the field.

LEADER OF THE PACK: TRICIA LISTON

When the Lynx drafted Liston, this is what they envisioned. Her game-high 15 points ignited a bench that needed igniting. She finished shooting 4-of-9 from the field, 4-of-7 from deep and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. She also added two assists and a rebound.

“I think it felt good for her… She knows she’s a great shooter. She’s just got to keep shooting,” Reeve said.

NUMBERS GAME:

• In her first game with the Lynx, Jones played 16 minutes off the bench. She did a nice job filling the stat line, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block.
• Seattle rookie and first overall pick Jewell Loyd came into the game shooting 2-of-20 with nine points. She finished with six points on Thursday night, but shot just 3-of-11.
• With the win, the Lynx moved to 3-0. The Washington Mystics (2-0) are the only other undefeated team in the league.

PLAY OF THE GAME:

With 3:07 left in the third quarter, back-up point guard O’Neill drove to the basket after blowing by her defender. She sucked in a Storm defender, only get give a nifty pass to Brunson for the easy layup.

This was a possession after O’Neill was blocked and Reeve was ready to sub in Seimone Augustus. Good confidence from the rookie point guard.

QUOTEABLE:

“Making her professional debut, all the way from Colorado, Ariya Smirth!” – The introduction for 14-year-old Ariya Smith, who is in Minneapolis as part of the Make A Wish series on ESPN. A very cool moment for everyone involved. Read more about Smith’s story here.

NEXT UP:

The Lynx will hit the road this weekend to play the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday at 2 p.m. CST. The game can be heard on BOB 106.1 FM and can be watched on ESPN 2.