Fowles helps set the tone in Lynx victory

Greetings for a final time from Target Center tonight.

The Lynx, with a game in Tulsa Saturday, did what they needed to do tonight. They won easily, in such one-sided fashion that coach Cheryl Reeve was able to keep the minutes down for her starters. And that wasn't an easy job considering she didn't have Seimone Augustus or Anna Cruz.

Cruz sat the game out after spraining her right ankle Wednesday. She was close to being able to play and might play Saturday.

Here are some thoughts on the game

--Sylvia Fowles had a relatively modest 12 points and eight rebounds. But she was rather dominant in the first quarter, when the Lynx essentially set the tone with a 26-9 edge in scoring. She opened the scoring by forcing a turnover, then dribbling down the court to score. She said she felt a lot better tonight than she had on Wednesday. And she – and the Lynx – showed what might be in store when Fowles gets completely up to speed with the team.

--It was a very nice game for Renee Montgomery, who started in Cruz's spot. The trade with Seattle that brought Montgomery here has been overshadowed by the Fowles trade. But Montgomery was important tonight. She played nearly 29 minutes – more than any other Lynx starter – and had nine assists to go with six points and two steals.

--Lindsay Whalen had her second straight strong game since returning from an eye injury. She scored 15 points tonight.

--Moore struggled with her shot again tonight. She was 6-for-21. Still, she finished up with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Afterward Reeve said Moore was tired. Moore has taken it upon herself to work hard to get Montgomery and Fowles integrated into the team. "That can be draining," Reeve said. "And we saw that tonight.''