SEATTLE – The Lynx knew they had a challenge Saturday night playing against a Seattle Storm team that had won its previous four games.
"We wanted to get off to a really good start here because they're a great team, it's a great arena with an amazing atmosphere and a lot of fans," guard Lindsay Whalen said. "We knew we had to come ready from the start."
They were more than ready. The Lynx scored 32 points in the first quarter, then 32 more in the second to build a 25-point halftime lead, on their way to a 100-77 victory at KeyArena that extended their latest perfect start to a season.
"I thought we were ready to play," coach Cheryl Reeve said after her team shot 59.4 percent from the floor, including 61.9 percent in the first half. "We were embracing the challenge of being here and playing against a really good Seattle team that was going to pose us many challenges."
Sylvia Fowles had 26 points and seven rebounds — all of it in the first half, when she shot 10-for-11 from the floor and 6-for-6 from the foul line. Rebekkah Brunson had her highest scoring total since August 2013 with 21 points, shooting 9-for-10. And Whalen had 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 3-for-4 from three-point range.
"Our front line was obviously exceptional from a field-goal percentage standpoint," Reeve said of Fowles and Brunson. I'm really happy for them … They were 19-for-22. That's crazy."
The Lynx tied the franchise record for first-half points, and the 64 points were the most given up in a first half in Storm franchise history. They improved to 7-0, one season after they set the WNBA record by winning their first 13 games.
Fowles was asked if Reeve had told her to come out aggressive against Seattle (4-2). "Not really. I think we're past the point where she has to tell me to be aggressive," she said. "I think it's just a mind-set now — going out and being consistent. My teammates found me open and had some good looks for me."
