Storm, Lynx reconvene in Minnesota after opener

Field Level Media|published: Thu 16th May, 23:07 2024

May 28, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles the ball against Las Vegas Aces center Kiah Stokes (41) during the second quarter at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Lynx will open their home schedule when they tip off against the Seattle Storm on Friday night in Minneapolis.

The game will be a rematch, after the teams met in Seattle on Tuesday night to open the season. The Lynx pulled away for an 83-70 victory.

Alanna Smith put up 22 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in her Lynx debut. She signed with the team in the offseason along with Courtney Williams, who finished with 14 points in her debut.

Smith and Williams have fit in perfectly with their new team, said Napheesa Collier, who has been with the Lynx since 2019.

"The impact they've had right away is phenomenal," Collier said. "I just feel we've jelled so quickly."

Meanwhile, Seattle will look to bounce back from a disappointing season opener. The Storm feature new faces like Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith, who joined a roster that includes Jewell Loyd, last season's top scorer in the WNBA.

Ogwumike scored 20 points and Diggins-Smith finished with 10 on Tuesday. Loyd, however, will try to move past a disappointing opener. She shot just 3-of-19 from the field.

"This is a new team," Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said. "And though, yes, we have excellent players on this roster, it takes time. ... What it showed is we have a lot of work to do, and that will come as we build through games and the adversity that will come. We'll be better."

The Storm hope that rookie Nika Muhl can make her WNBA debut on Friday, but her status is uncertain. Muhl, a native of Croatia, missed the first game as she waits for her visa to be approved.

Seattle drafted Muhl in the second round with the No. 14 overall pick this spring. Muhl played collegiately at UConn under a student visa, but once she became a professional player, her student visa no longer applied.

The Lynx went 9-11 at home last season. The Storm went 7-13 on the road.

Smith said Minnesota was built to be more successful this year.

"We're a very well-put-together team," she said. "Credit to the big dogs up top who worked in the offseason. We have really good people, and it makes it easy to have a baseline of chemistry."

--Field Level Media