Make it back-to-back wins to begin the season as the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Seattle Storm 72-61 Wednesday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The defending WNBA champion storm were held to just 36.4% shooting as Minnesota took a 15-point lead into the half and hung on for the 11-point win.
The new-look Lynx, playing without Maya Moore (sitting out the season), Lindsay Whalen (retired), and Seimone Augustus (knee injury), were led by Odyssey Sims’ 15 points and three others scoring in double figures.
Damiris Dantas scored 12 points while rookie second-round pick Jessica Shephard and Lexie Brown each scored 10. All-Star center Sylvia Fowles was held to just seven points but grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to fuel Minnesota’s 40-22 rebounding advantage.
Napheesa Collier, the sixth overall pick in the WNBA Draft, scored nine points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Collier burst onto the scene in her debut by scoring 27 points.
Up next: Lynx (2-0) at Dallas (0-1), Saturday at 7 p.m.
Seimone Augustus needs knee surgery
Sitting out a second straight game because of a knee injury, 14-year veteran Seimone Augustus will miss more time to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery, according to a report from the Star Tribune.
The report says Augustus will undergo the operation on Thursday at Mayo Clinic and be out indefinitely.
With Augustus out, Sims has been started at shooting guard in her place.
