Lynx roll at Seattle behind monster first half

June 4, 2017 at 4:46AM
Seattle Storm's Ramu Tokashiki tries to muscle her way into the lane to shootver Minnesota's Jia Perkins (7) and Pienette Pierson (22) in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, June 3, 2017, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)
Seattle’s Ramu Tokashiki tried to muscle her way into the lane against Lynx reserves Jia Perkins (7) and Pienette Pierson in the first half, a half that ended with the Lynx leading 64-39. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

SEATTLE – Good teams, not-so-good teams … the Lynx have beaten them all so far this season.

The Lynx set one franchise record and tied another in a dominant first half Saturday night, getting another huge performance from Sylvia Fowles in beating the Seattle Storm 100-77 at KeyArena.

The Lynx scored 32 points in each of the first two quarters and improved to 7-0, one year after setting the WNBA record by winning their first 13 games.

Fowles finished with 26 points and seven rebounds — all of it in the first half — her fourth double-double in five games.

Fowles, the WNBA's Western Conference player of the month for May, shot 10-for-11 from the floor in the half, which ended with the Lynx leading 64-39. They made 26 field goals to break the franchise record of made field goals in any half by one, set last year against Dallas. And their 64 first-half points tied a record set vs. Sacramento in 2009. The Lynx also had a 22-7 edge in rebounds at halftime.

Fowles wasn't alone with the hot hand Saturday. Rebekkah Brunson was 9-for-10 for 21 points, her highest scoring total since she had 19 points at Seattle on Sept. 7, 2013.

Lindsay Whalen was 8-for-10 for 19 points, including 3-for-4 from three-point range. The Lynx shot 41-for-69 (59.4 percent) from the floor, including 7-for-14 from long range. Maya Moore went 2-for-2 on three-pointers — her only six points of the game.

Whalen also tied Swin Cash for the most victories as a player in WNBA history. The former Gophers guard from Hutchinson, Minn., has won 294 games over her 14-year career with Connecticut and the Lynx.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Lynx had off to a good start this season in part by beating teams with losing record. None of the teams they beat in their first six games — Chicago, New York, Dallas, Connecticut twice and San Antonio — have a winning record, and Connecticut, Chicago and San Antonio have combined to go 3-18.

That wasn't the case with Seattle, a playoff team last season. The Storm entered Saturday on a four-game winning streak, with all those victories coming at home.

Seattle Storm's Jewell Loyd splits Minnesota Lynx defenders but cannot get the shot to drop in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Saturday, June 3, 2017, in Seattle. (Dean Rutz/The Seattle Times via AP)
Jewell Loyd cpicouldn’t get this first-half shot to drop after splitting Lynx defenders Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

NEWS SERVICES

More from Lynx

See More
card image
Lindsey Wasson/The Associated Press

The WNBA's newest proposal to the players' union that was delivered Friday made small increases to its revenue sharing offer and concessions on housing according to two people familiar with the negotiations.

card image
card image