Recap: Led by Sims’ 15 points, Lynx beat Storm 72-61

The Minnesota Lynx defeated the defending-champion Seattle Storm Wednesday night, 72-61, for their second win of the season.

Minnesota entered this home game with the intention of making the first punch and hitting the ground running. The Lynx ended the first quarter with a 22-9 lead over the Storm. Although the final score might suggest a close game, the reality is that Minnesota dominated the whole time as they finished each quarter leading by double digits.

Odyssey Sims, who was traded to the Lynx in the offseason, finished the game with 15 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds while shooting 6-of-12 (50 percent) from the field. In addition to Sims’ strong performance, Sylvia Fowles netted 7 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

Although Fowles and Sims received the spotlight, it was a total team effort as the entire starting lineup contributed in Wednesday night’s win. Damiris Dantas provided the Lynx with floor spacing, shooting and second-chance points. Dantas ended the game with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 2-of-3 (66.7 percent) from three. Lexie Brown and Jessica Shepard both contributed 10 points off the bench.

For Seattle, Natasha Howard and Jewell Loyd had strong performances. Howard finished the game with 18 points, 5 rebounds and a steal, and shot 8-of-15 (53 percent) from the floor. Loyd concluded the game with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting a rough 5-of-21 (23 percent) from the floor.

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Minnesota and Seattle both got off to slow starts but shooting, injury and rebounding were the separating factors between two teams. The Lynx did an excellent job of spacing the floor and running the pick-and-roll, which eventually opened up the three-point option for the team. Minnesota shot 27-of-61 (44.3 percent) from the field and 6-of-17 (35.3 percent) from three in comparison to Seattle’s 24-of-66 (36.4 percent) from the field and 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) from three.

Clearly, Seattle is still adjusting to playing without both Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart. But expect the team to adjust and find a solid lineup that gets everyone involved and off to an early start.

Next up for the Lynx

The Lynx are off to a great start as they sit at 2-0. Minnesota will play their next two games on the road. The first game will be against the Dallas Wings on Saturday, June 1, at 8 p.m. ET and the second is a rematch against the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, June 4, at 10 p.m. ET. If the Lynx win both of these games, it will send an early message to the rest of the league that they are here to stay.

Next up for the Storm

The defending champions are 1-1 after a tough Wednesday night loss. Seattle will be on the road for their next two games. First, the Storm will take on the Atlanta Dream on Friday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and then they’ll meet the Chicago Sky on Saturday, June 1, at 8 p.m. ET.