Seattle's fight can't withstand Moore's punch

Minnesota, MN -- The Minnesota Lynx shined in their last game before the lights dim for one month due to the Olympic break, playing so fast, it seemed like they were moving at the speed of lightning. The Lynx dominated almost every aspect of the game, with their only setback coming in the second quarter. They defeated the Seattle Storm, 79-72 and have now won six in a row.

Both teams stayed close in the first quarter, with Minnesota barely pushing ahead early with a steal by Lindsay Whalen to Maya Moore that brought the score to 9-5. Minnesota's energy continued to flourish, as five of their first nine points came from fast break points.

The high-intensity defensive pressure by the Lynx led multiple steals and to back-to-back plays by Janel McCarville and Natasha Howard, anchoring the Lynx's 12-4 run to close out to first quarter ahead of the Storm, 23-13.

The teams switched the energy button back on for the second quarter, and a long two out of the corner followed by a three-pointer, both by Sue Bird, igniting energy for the Storm, bringing them within five of the Lynx.

Sylvia Fowles challenged the Storm's newly unleashed momentum by effortlessly drifting through the lane to capture two points, stretching the Lynx's lead to 29-22. Fowles went six for six in the first half, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds.

However, Minnesota slight relaxation on defense, led Seattle to a late-quarter comeback, which put them just one point behind the Lynx. Eventually, Minnesota would manage to stay ahead, only by two, as the Storm came storming back, bringing the score to 38-36.

With the score remaining close entering into the second half, both teams displayed resilience, continuing to show their electric energy from the first half. The teams continued to play tug of war on the scoreboard, staying close and challenging each other.

Minnesota sustained their ability to score points in the paint, following each of their missed shots, which led to big second-chance points from both Howard and Moore that sent the Lynx up by seven.

Seattle's Breanna Stewart, continued to struggle with scoring, but managed to make her way to the free throw line, gaining her only points in the second half from the free throws, making 11 of 13.

But for the Lynx, they took advantage of Seattle's scoring and turnover problems, giving Minnesota's Moore, the chance to exploded on the court, scoring 21 points in the game and going 11-for-12 from the free throw line.

Minnesota expanded their lead to 64-51 by the end of the third quarter.

In their final quarter of play before the Olympic break, Minnesota's Howard scored all six of their opening points, stretching their lead to 17 points.

Jewell Lloyd came alive for a brief moment, scoring 12 points for the Storm, helping them get within 10 of the Lynx with five minutes remaining in the game. Fowles nevertheless, continued to make big shots in the paint, scoring 20 points for Minnesota.

The final score went in favor of the Lynx, who defeated to Storm 79-72.

Moore led Minnesota with 21 points, followed by Fowles, who had 20. Howard also had an impressive game, putting up 14 points for the Lynx off of the bench. The Lynx scored 44 points inside the paint.

Despite struggling from the field, Stewart led Seattle with 18 points and eight rebounds, followed by Lloyd and Sue Bird, whom both had 16 points; Bird also had eight assists.

The Lynx are currently 21-4, remaining in second place in the Western Conference, barely behind the Los Angeles Sparks. This was the last game for the Lynx before the Olympic break, and the team has already clinched a spot in the post-season playoffs.

Four players from the Lynx will play in Rio including Seimone Augustus, Fowles, Moore and Lindsay Whalen. This is the fifth consecutive Olympic year in which the Lynx have been represented on the Olympic roster.