Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (16-6) vs. San Antonio Stars (7-15) | 7:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: No TV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

Winning fixes everything. Plain and simple.

After a 1-2 west coast road trip the Lynx returned home Sunday night and beat the streaking Los Angeles Sparks 72-64. Suddenly the team looks rejuvenated and, sitting on a two game lead and the best record in the WNBA, ready to put a stranglehold on the Western Conference.

Maya Moore had a return to form against the Sparks, dropping a game-high 20 points to help lead Minnesota to a victory and halt a two-game losing streak.

“I thought we were hard to play against,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “Every time [ the Sparks made a run], each time that occurred, we were able to hold our ground and I thought we were pretty hard to play against, and that’s our goal.”

No team seemingly knows just how tough the Lynx are to play against better than the San Antonio Stars.

The Stars have dropped both games this season to Minnesota and by an average of 16 points. The Lynx also held the Stars to their season-low in points and shooting percentage in their meeting on July 12. San Antonio will look to have better luck tonight.

Coming off a win over the Seattle Storm, the Stars will look to notch back-to-back wins for just the second-time this season. But don’t let the disparity in records fool you; the Stars are a talented team.

San Antonio has four players averaging double-digits in scoring with guard Jia Perkins leading the team averaging 14.5 points per game. Perkins was also the star (yes, pun intended) in San Antonio’s win in Seattle where she poured in 32 points and added five assists and two steals.

The biggest difference this time around, both literally and figuratively, will be Minnesota’s  6’6 center Sylvia Fowles.

Fowles, acquired just after the All-Star break, has yet to face San Antonio this year, but is seeming to find her stride after not playing the first-half of the season and showed her development on Sunday night against the Sparks.

Finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds, Fowles was a key contributor in the fourth quarter when the Lynx needed to put Los Angeles away for good. Fowles scored 6 points and grabbed four rebounds in the fourth while continuing to cause deflections and alter shots on defense.

“It was so important the way [Fowles] responded during that time,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve, speaking about Fowles’ excellent fourth quarter performance. “Sylvia during that stretch was really important for us and it was good to see…it’s just part of her evolution and getting her integrated into our group.”

If Fowles plays as well tonight as she did on Sunday night, the Stars will have yet another player to look out for, though will assumedly have great difficulty stopping a player of Fowles’ caliber.

LAST MEETING

These two teams last met on July 12 at Target Center. The Lynx won. Easily. Pure domination on both ends of the floor.

The Lynx won 66-49 and held the Stars to their season-low in both points and shooting percentage. The game was never really close either, with the Lynx jumping out to a huge lead and ending the first quarter with a 20-6 lead, only to push that lead to 39-26 at halftime.

Lynx forward Maya Moore had a game-high 20 points to go with her nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Guard Seimone Augustus had 12 points and center Damiris Dantas added nine points and four rebounds off the bench for the Lynx.

Forward Dearica Hamby led the Stars with 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals while forward Danielle Adams added nine points and three rebounds in just 16 minutes off the bench in the loss.

KEY MATCH-UP: LYNX FRONTCOURT VS. STARS FRONTCOURT

I think everyone both in and around the WNBA know that the Lynx and the Stars have great guards that can score at-will and play great defense, which is why tonight’s game will be all about these team’s frontcourts.

The Stars have never bee able to get their frontcourt going against the Lynx and they will need to change that if they hope to have success tonight.

Center Jayne Appel is averaging just a single point to go with 4.5 rebounds in two games against the Lynx this season. Forward Dearica Hamby has had slightly more success, averaging 11.5 points and six rebounds, but it still has not been enough to get San Antonio a win. It won’t get any easier for the Stars now.

The Lynx have three dominant bigs in their frontcourt in forward Rebekkah Brunson and centers Asjha Jones and Sylvia Fowles, the latter being a 6’6 two-time defensive player of the year.

Combined, the trio is averaging 27.9 points, 17.9 rebounds and five assists per game; daunting numbers for any team to face.

As I said, we all know that the guards are going to score and play well, but it is the frontcourt where the game will be decided.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Lynx: PG – Whalen, SG – Cruz, SF – Moore, PF – Brunson, C – Fowles

Stars: PG – Perkins, SG – Robinson, SF – McBride, PF – Young-Malcolm, C – Appel