The Minnesota Lynx met the Chicago Sky for the second time this week, and the crowd at Target Center was treated to a fast paced high energy game. There was a lot of scrambling and it was a little frenetic at times. Nonetheless, Chicago again showed themselves to be a disciplined team. Also, Minnesota got back some of its chemistry and played a much better game than the previous one.
The starters for each team played more minutes, and did the bulk of the scoring. Rachel Banham started for the injured Courtney Vandersloot for Chicago, and both Jessica Shepard and Karlie Samuelson got the start for Minnesota, with Alanna Smith sidelined with a quad injury and Kayla McBride still out.
Banham and Kia Nurse led the scoring for the Sky with each scoring 14 points. Kamilla Cardoso‘s scored 13 and Angel Reese 10. Reese was limited to three rebounds, and while Cardoso is such a dominant presence under the basket, there were a few times when the Lynx defense smothered her, and Cardoso ended up going 4 – 7. Rookie Hailey Van Lith scored eight points in 15 minutes, going 2 – 2 from three. Chicago has the tools, and once the season gets rolling, it will be interesting to see how they progress.
The Lynx Offense Saw Multiple Double-Digit Scorers Versus Sky
Minnesota was led by Napheesa Collier, who scored a game high 26 points, followed by Courtney Williams with 17, Bridget Carleton with 11, Jessica Shepard with 10, and Samuelson with eight. The Lynx boast an abundance of talent, and coach Cheryl Reeve must assemble a roster that, unfortunately, won’t include everyone.
The return of Shepard was, I think, a surprise. However, this is a different Shepard than we saw the last time she played for the Lynx. She appears stronger, even more aggressive, and more focused. Coupled with her 10 points were eight rebounds and nine assists, a goos stat line for 24 minutes. A full game could very well have seen a triple double.
This game showed more of last year’s Minnesota Lynx team than the previous one. Getting one game under the belt, playing at home, and rekindling their famous chemistry all contributed to a close yet successful game.
What’s Next For The Lynx?
With their first two games on the road, at Dallas and then Los Angeles, they should be primed for the home opener, also against Dallas, with hometown Dallas Wing Paige Bueckers making her Minnesota debut. Chicago begins their campaign on the road at Indiana. They don’t meet Minnesota again until they come back to Target Center on July 6.
Across the league, the roster cuts will be happening very soon. We’ll know in short time who makes it and who doesn’t. Could there be a surprise trade or cut in the works? Possibly, but not being a prognosticator, I’m not going to guess. We all just have to wait.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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