Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen are back. And, for the first time in a great while, the Lynx are at full strength.
You could see it as practice was winding up Tuesday. The intensity level was high, the execution impressive. Heading into the playoffs, the Lynx feel like a complete team.
"A lot of energy," Maya Moore said. "It's fun."
And it has been a while. Augustus has been out since sustaining a left mid-foot sprain Aug. 19. Whalen was back at practice for the first time since straining her Achilles Aug. 30.
Coach Cheryl Reeve was cautiously optimistic. She expects both to be play when the Lynx open the playoffs with a home game Friday against Los Angeles. But she wants to see how the two respond to their first full workout.
But the players themselves seemed a little more confident. "I'm all in, I'm ready to go," Augustus said. Said Whalen: "I'm just going to keep doing everything I can, icing and treatment and everything. Take it one day at a time and get ready for Friday.''
In a season with injuries and mid-season roster changes, the Lynx will have three full days of practice together to get ready for Friday's game. That's enough time for everyone to get back on the same page with center Sylvia Fowles.
And, assuming both Whalen and Augustus hold up well, the Lynx enter the playoffs a very deep team.