Key Lynx vets played strong Sunday in spite of illnesses

Lynx post players Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Rebekkah Brunson were ill Sunday, but it certainly was hard to tell.

McWilliams-Franklin had eight points and 10 rebounds in 30 minutes as the Lynx beat Atlanta 88-74 at Target Center in the first game of the best-of-five WNBA Finals.

She played despite stomach problems. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said an unsuccessful attempt was made at halftime to give her intravenous therapy.

"They couldn't get an IV into her," Reeve said. "So she came back out, was ready to roll and didn't want to come out."

Brunson, playing despite a cold, was congested and coughing in the locker room after scoring a season-high 26 points. She also had 11 rebounds in 36-plus minutes.

"The Minnesota weather is tricky," Brunson said. "That's all it is."

"She's high energy all the time," said McWilliams-Franklin, referring to Brunson. "She played like a vet who's been to the Finals before and won it, so that's what you expect from your vets. She knew coach expected a lot of her and she came out strong."

Both McWilliams-Franklin and Brunson apparently were feeling better Monday afternoon. They were back at Target Center for a Dribble to Stop Diabetes basketball clinic for kids.

McCoughtry sets records Dream forward Angel McCoughtry set two Finals records and came close to a third on Sunday.

McCoughtry scored 33 points, two off her record total a year ago against Seattle. Her 19 points in the third quarter were a Finals record as were the 14 consecutive points she scored for the Dream starting at the end of the second quarter into the third.

The previous record for points in a quarter was 14 set by Phoenix guard Diana Taurasi against Detroit in 2007. The record for most points in a row was 13 by New York's Crystal Robinson in 1999.

McCoughtry is "extremely aggressive," said Seimone Augustus, who guarded McCoughtry at times. "When you think you've got her stopped, she's going to make that extra move, get that extra contact to try to get to the foul line."

She was 8-for-15 from the field after halftime, including 2-for-5 on three-pointers, and 9-for-10 on free throws. Her teammates were 3-for-20 from the field in the second half.

Block record falls, too The Lynx set one Finals record by blocking 11 shots, one more than Los Angeles had against Charlotte in 2001.

McWilliams-Franklin had a team-high three blocks. Brunson, Augustus and Maya Moore had two blocks apiece.

Etc. • Sunday's crowd of 15,258 was the second largest for a Lynx game. Only a game on July 4, 2004, drew more. Lindsay Whalen returned home that day, with Connecticut, after leading the Gophers to the women's Final Four about three and a half months earlier.