The Game

In one of their most important contests of the season, the Lynx travel to Seattle to play the Storm on Sunday.

The two teams are locked in a battle for playoff position with the Lynx just a half game behind the Storm in seventh place. A victory would give Minnesota sole possession of the No. 6 seed and the inside track to hosting a first-round playoff game.

Minnesota is 1-2 against Seattle this season, with their sole victory coming in the first meeting between the two teams this season. As always, stopping Natasha Howard will be critical to getting the victory. Howard had 27 points on Friday night in a narrow one-point loss to the Sun. However, Seattle’s season has been defined by unexpected players stepping up, and with All-Star Jewell Loyd returning, the Storm are deep and talented.

However, the Lynx are playing great basketball in their own right. They are 3-2 in their last five games, but both of those losses came against the league-leading Washington Mystics. Minnesota played extremely well on Friday despite picking up the loss. There is a lot they can carry over into this game, especially their aggressiveness and physicality—Minnesota can be a tough team to play against when they force the issue.

What: Lynx at Storm
When: 6 p.m.
Where: Alaska Airlines Arena
Watch: League Pass, Fox Sports GO
Listen: BOB FM 106.1.

Lynx Connection 

Howard played for the Lynx in 2016 and 2017, averaging around 5.5 points per game playing behind Sylvia Fowles. Since being traded to Seattle, however, she has really become a star in this league. While it’s easy to have regrets about moving a talent like that, it’s also important to remember that players often respond differently to different systems and different opportunities. Seattle deserves credit for seeing the potential in Howard and cultivating it.

Something You Might Not Have Known…

When the Storm won the WNBA championship in 2004, the late Anne Donovan became the first female head coach to win a WNBA championship. In 2011, when the Lynx won their first title, Cheryl Reeve became the second. Donovan and Reeve always had a close connection and Reeve considered Donovan an inspirational figure in her life.

Injury Report:

Lynx: Karima Christmas-Kelly (knee) and Jessica Shepard (ACL) are out.
Storm: Sue Bird (knee) and Breanna Stewart (ACL) are out.

Probable Starters:

Lynx: PG—Sims, SG—Augustus, SF—Collier, PF—Dantas, C—Fowles
Storm: PG—Canada, SG—Whitcomb, SF—Clark, PF—Howard, C—Russell