WNBA: Minnesota Lynx off to good begin with two wins over Seattle Storm

The Minnesota Lynx have opened the 2024 WNBA season on a excessive be aware, successful their first two video games and sitting in fourth place within the league’s standings. Each wins got here in opposition to the Seattle Storm, with the Lynx utilizing the early scheduling quirk to get an early lead within the standings in opposition to an opponent they could be battling for playoff seeding later within the season.

In line with Swish Attraction’s preseason energy rankings (as voted on by the location’s employees members), expectations will probably be excessive for each the Storm (No. 3) and Lynx (No. 5) in 2024. Minnesota’s pair of opening-week victories over Seattle not solely gave the Lynx an early-season cushion within the standings, but additionally demonstrated simply how far alongside they’re when it comes to staff chemistry—not less than compared to their opponents. In each video games, the Storm recorded extra turnovers than assists, and whereas Minnesota’s cumulative help/turnover ratio wasn’t spectacular both, the Lynx’s performances as a staff had been notably extra cohesive than that of the Storm’s, regardless of each rosters including important items in free company this previous offseason.

It actually helps that the Lynx have Napheesa Collier. The 2023 All-WNBA First-Teamer has been extraordinarily productive, totaling 49 factors, 21 rebounds and 7 steals within the two Minnesota victories. Collier was named the WNBA’s Participant of the Week for the Western Convention, which is the fifth time in her profession she’s obtained the dignity, in line with Throughout the Timeline.

The Lynx additionally bought huge contributions from ahead Alanna Smith, who just lately signed a two-year protected contract with Minnesota. Smith carried out properly in opposition to an athletic frontcourt of Nneka Ogwumike and Ezi Magbegor, totaling 38 factors (14-for-25 capturing) and 10 blocked photographs within the two wins.

That is particularly encouraging contemplating that Dorka Juhász has but to go well with up. The 2023 All-Rookie middle continues to be fulfilling abroad obligations with Italian membership Beretta Famila Schio; she’ll play an enormous position for the Lynx when she returns from Italy, however with the way in which Smith has been enjoying thus far, Minnesota head coach Cheryl Reeve could choose to convey Juhász off the bench.

Regardless, the Lynx’s play to start the season must be pleasing to Reeve. Minnesota has began slowly most of the time in recent times, opening the 2021 and 2022 seasons 0-4 and the 2023 season 0-6. These Lynx groups needed to climb their approach out of these early-season holes they dug for themselves, and it price them helpful postseason seeding.

Minnesota has already cleared that bar—as little as it could be—in 2024. Issues received’t get any simpler, nevertheless, as Reeve’s squad takes on a pair of Jap Convention powerhouses later this week.

What’s subsequent for the Lynx

Picture by Jordan Johnson/NBAE by way of Getty Photos

The Lynx could have triumphed over a Storm staff that’s nonetheless looking for its id, however they’ll have their work reduce out for them in opposition to the Connecticut Solar (3-0), who they’ll journey to play this Thursday, Could 23. Connecticut has received not less than 20 video games in six of the previous seven WNBA seasons, and perennial MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas brings a stage of physicality that Minnesota might want to discover a solution to match.

The Lynx will then tackle the New York Liberty (4-0), who’re coming off a WNBA Finals look in 2023 and look simply as robust to start 2024. New York’s revamped bench options significantly extra athleticism than it did final 12 months, and with the 6-foot-6 Jonquel Jones and 6-foot-5 Breanna Stewart within the frontcourt, Minnesota could have points matching up with its relative lack of dimension.