The Minnesota Lynx are back on track after suffering their first defeat of the WNBA season. In Friday night's action, Sylvia Fowles and Maya Moore combined for 43 points to help Minnesota defeat the Washington Mystics 93-76 in a rout.
The former University of Connecticut star Moore also finished three assists shy of a triple-double to help lead her team. Here's a look at how Minnesota got their 10th win of the season in the Mystics vs. Lynx game.
Game recap
After having their nine-game winning streak halted by the Connecticut Sun, the Lynx bounced back with an impressive victory.
Friday's game at the Xcel Energy Center was one in which the home team never trailed and ultimately won by double digits. Minnesota was up 50-36 at the half, and despite being outscored 25-22 in the third, never let the Mystics back into this one.
Maya Moore finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. In an early scoring fest, 18 of Moore's 22 points came in just the first half. Her teammate Sylvia Fowles had 21 points to go with her 15 rebounds, five blocks, two assists, and two steals. Guard Lindsay Whalen added 12 points to go with six boards and six assists.
Fowles' latest performance could have been yet another early case for her to win the WNBA MVP Award this season. She's currently averaging 20.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, both of which are second amongst all players this season.
For the losing side, Tayler Hill led all Washington Mystics players with 22 points on 8-for-22 shooting. Former league MVP Elena Delle Donne added 15 points while also pulling down eight rebounds.
The Mystics shot 40.3 percent for the game compared to a 47.1 percent rate for the home team, who also rebounded Washington 43-31 in the win.
Standings & what's next
With Friday night's victory, the Minnesota Lynx are now 10-1 on the season. They're still slightly ahead of the Los Angeles Sparks in the Western Conference, as they hold a two-game lead.
Next up, Minnesota will get a home game against the WNBA's only winless team, the 0-13 San Antonio Stars. That game is set for Sunday at 7 p.m.
Eastern Time.
The loss drops the Washington Mystics to 7-5 overall, which has them tied record-wise with the New York Liberty for the Eastern Conference lead. Under the league's current playoff format, the top eight teams record-wise in all of the WNBA qualify for the playoffs. Next up, the Mystics will play at the Chicago Sky on June 25th at 6 p.m. Eastern Time.