The steadiest Lynx player this season has been Rebekkah Brunson. The 6-2 veteran forward keeps churning out double-doubles -- three in a row so far.
Brunson scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the Lynx beat Tulsa 75-65 on Tuesday night at Target Center before an announced crowd of 7,713.
"Thank goodness she showed up," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "She is relentless. She just does not know any other way. I am really happy she is on our ballclub. I have a great deal of appreciation for the way she approaches the game. Her play is contagious."
The Lynx acquired Brunson before last season in the dispersal draft of Sacramento players after that franchise folded. She had 12 double-doubles in her first season at Minnesota to set a team record.
"I am just trying to be aggressive. That's it," Brunson said. "I am just trying to do my part and do whatever I can to help this team succeed.
"I know that rebounding is key. And it is something that gets our defense [and offense] going."
Brunson's 10 defensive rebounds often started fast breaks, enabling the Lynx to outscore the Shock 21-5 in transition points.
Her rebound total was especially impressive considering Tulsa had 6-8 rookie Elizabeth Cambage clogging the middle.
"It was fun to rebound against a player that size," Brunson said. "It is a challenge. As a competitor you enjoy that."
The Lynx needed someone to have a big game because Seimone Augustus and rookie Maya Moore, their two leading scorers, were held to eight and seven points, respectively.
"In the case of Seimone, she got good looks. She is struggling to find the trajectory on her shot that she needs," Reeve said. "With Maya, she was rushed. She got away from the poise that she had on Sunday [in a victory over Los Angeles].
"For those two to struggle the way they did, we were still OK."
Besides Brunson, other Lynx in double figures were guards Lindsay Whalen with 16 points and Monica Wright with 10.
Cambage, the second pick in the WNBA draft behind Moore, finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
"She is big, she has skill and she can move," Whalen said. "I thought our bigs did a good job on her."
Guarding Cambage much of the time for the Lynx was 6-2 center Taj McWilliams-Franklin, six inches shorter and at 40, double her age.
"Taj fights the post probably better than any other defender in the league," Reeve said. "Taj has the ability to keep Cambage from catching the ball where Cambage wants to catch it."
The victory improved the Lynx's record to 2-1, while the Shock fell to 0-2.
"I am pretty happy to win," Reeve said. "At no point last year [after the season opener] were we above .500."
