Minnesota Lynx take Game 1 84-59 over Atlanta Dream.
By Sarita Kelly
Oct 6, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen (13) passes the ball in the first quarter against the Atlanta Dream in game one of the WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Marilyn Indahl-USA TODAY Sports
The Minnesota Lynx easily took down the Atlanta Dream 84-59 in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals Saturday night.
Maya Moore lead the team with 23 points, including three 3-pointers in the first quarter that gave the Lynx the easy lead from the start, she shot 10 for 16 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds, and Monica Wright put in 20 points off the bench.
Seimone Augustus scored her usual 19 points, with that the Lynx overpowered the Dream and lead the entire game and shooting 49.4 percent from the field.
Angel McCoughtry finished with 17 points for the Dream, but she needed 24 shots to get there, making just six field goals. Aneika Henry added 14 points for the Dream.
Henry and Erika de Souza gave the Dream some early production inside, but the Lynx didn’t bother tussling much with them in the post. They snagged the defensive rebounds they needed, enjoying a 31-19 advantage in that category.
The Lynx went on a 15-0 run in the second quarter to secure the lead with five players scoring during the spurt. They had 14 assists in the first half, to four for the Dream.
McCoughtry started the third quarter by hitting a 3-pointer off the rim. Then she had a fast-break layup stolen by Whalen on the next possession, she complained to the officials for a foul call but was ignored. A little later in that period, McCarville leveled McCoughtry with a jarring screen. Then she peeled off, caught a pass and swished a jump shot for a 48-31 lead. The players ran by as McCoughtry sat on the court, still dazed from the collision.
Then right before the buzzer at the end of the quarter, Augustus hit a 3-pointer to push the advantage to 68-43. She pivoted and pumped her fist in celebration.
Game 2 is here in Minnesota again on Tuesday night, with the best-of-five series shifting to Georgia for Game 3 on Thursday night.