The good news is the Lynx are the WNBA's first 4-0 team after beating the Connecticut Sun 80-78 Tuesday night.
But the way they did it wasn't quite as good. Except for a stretch of just under 7 minutes from the middle of the third quarter into the fourth, the Lynx were out-played, out-scored, out hustled.
The biggest issue was turnovers. The Lynx committed 22 of them, a season high. It was the second time this season they've had 20 or more. And the Sun, winless at 0-3, turned those 22 turnovers into 31 points. The Lynx allowed 31 points off turnovers and another 30 on three-pointers.
But still managed to win.
So, afterward, coach Cheryl Reeve was happy to have won. But she was also aware the team needed to play much better to keep doing so.
Here are some post-game notes:
--Minnesota is now 21-0 in the month of May dating back to the 2012 season. They were 5-0 in 2012, 6-0 in 2014 and 2016 and 4-0 this May.
--Two big reasons the Lynx won tonight? Center Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus. Fowles has come out of the gate strong. Named the Western Conference player of the week on Monday, she had 21 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks and four assists tonight. Augustus had 16 points. Nine came in the third quarter, seven of them in a 12-0 run that put the Lynx up for good.
--Forward Rebekkah Brunson had seven rebounds tonight, moving her past former teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin into fourth place in WNBA history in career rebounds (3,017). She also played her 10,000th career minute tonight.
--Maya Moore came into the game shooting under 30 percent, and she was 4-for-9 tonight. But she did score 12 points, have six rebounds and five assists.
--But four of the five Lynx starters had at least four turnovers, with Augustus leading the way with five.
--The Lynx are off Wednesday, returning to practice Thursday. They play a rematch with the Sun in Connecticut Friday.
