Preview: The Lynx return after a month break in the schedule caused by the Rio Olympics. They were on a hot streak before the hiatus, having won six straight games. Coach Cheryl Reeve said she doesn't expect the team to be rusty. "I feel good about how the Olympians looked and in what I've seen from [the rest of the team]," she said.
What to watch: The last trip to Connecticut may have been their most disappointing effort of the season, blowing an 11-point lead in the final two minutes – and wasting a 40-point effort from Moore — in a 93-89 overtime loss on July 7. ... Reeve stressed patience as the team gets used to playing together again. "We'll have to work through some things, like being on point with our schemes, timing, which plays work for which people." ... Guard Alex Bentley leads Connecticut in scoring at 13.8 point per game. ... Former Gopher Rachel Banham, selected by Connecticut No. 4 overall in the 2016 WNBA draft, has been out since July 8 after having season-ending knee surgery.
Cruz returns: Anna Cruz played for silver-medalist Spain against Team USA in the Olympic final. Now, the 6-1 guard is a teammate after signing a contract with the team Thursday. She averaged eight points and three assists for the Lynx in 2015.
Numbers: The Lynx won nine in a row after the 2012 Olympics, but lost three of their final six regular-season games.
JIM PAULSEN
