Lynx roll over Dream in Fowles’ final Atlanta game

ATLANTA — Minnesota Lynx middle and WNBA legend Sylvia Fowles made yet one more cease on her retirement tour and this one was particularly particular. Earlier than the sport, the Atlanta Dream introduced Fowles with a pair of Air Pressure Ones and roses.

It was the start of what turned out to be a terrific night time for the Lynx and a foul one for the Dream. The Lynx gained 92-85 on the again of Aerial Powers’ game-high 25 factors on 62.5% capturing whereas Fowles in her closing recreation in Atlanta scored 12 factors and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

As a crew, Minnesota shot 55.6% from the sphere, together with 64% at one level within the third quarter. This was on the again of 21 assists as a crew and Atlanta head coach Tanisha Wright was very annoyed along with her crew’s shot choice.

“I believed earlier, we received some photographs that have been open and we received some simple seems to be, however all through their run and their streaks, we took very uncharacteristic photographs that contributed to them having the ability to get out and various things like that,” coach Wright mentioned.

Coach Wright was particularly disenchanted by what she perceived as her crew’s lack of effort. She was annoyed as a result of she all the time tries to instill into her crew a specific amount of competitiveness to deliver to the ground each single recreation and he or she didn’t see that night time.

“Tonight, I can’t eat this,” coach Wright mentioned. “I don’t be ok with this as a result of they didn’t compete and it’s a illustration of me and I constructed my complete profession on competing, so after they appear to be this, I take it very personally.”

That lack of competitiveness described by Wright was summed up in the truth that the Dream shot 38.6% as a crew. Rhyne Howard had 18 factors on 20 photographs and Cheyenne Parker had 16 factors, however she solely took seven photographs. The one environment friendly scorer for Atlanta was Tiffany Hayes, who had 24 factors on 50% capturing.

The Lynx’s lights-out capturing in distinction to the Dream’s poor capturing enabled for the previous to guide 25-16 on the finish of the primary quarter and 49-29 at halftime. The Lynx led by 23 factors at one level, however the Dream managed to go on an 18-8 run to drag inside 10 factors and even made it a 6-point ball recreation at one level.

The Lynx finally managed to drag away and their dominant crew efficiency was capped off by Fowles scoring her final factors in Atlanta on a free throw and within the course of acquired an ovation from the Dream trustworthy. Parker will all the time have fond reminiscences of her taking part in profession.

“After I was a youthful participant, I used to only watch video games of Sylvia and simply watch how she labored across the paint,” Parker mentioned. “She’s all the time been simply legendary.”

Each groups are presently on the surface trying in because it pertains to the playoff image, because the Dream are presently a No. 9 seed with a 12-17 file and the Lynx are proper behind them at 11-19. If the Dream are going to make the playoffs, they will want extra contributions from gamers like Erica Wheeler, who turned a member of the two,000-point membership on Thursday night time.

“I really like this recreation,” Wheeler mentioned. “This recreation saved my life, so for me, I attempt to give it my all each time…I belong right here. I don’t assume I’ve to show that to anyone, so for me, I simply assume it’s a terrific milestone that reveals my work.”