The Connecticut Sun came close to handing the Minnesota Lynx their first loss of the season and their first defeat in their past 21 May games on Tuesday night.
On Friday night in Uncasville, Conn., the Sun get another chance on the back end of a home-and-home series.
Sylvia Fowles scored 21 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked four shots as the Lynx (4-0) held off the Sun 80-78 in St. Paul, Minn. Connecticut (0-3) had a possession in the final seconds that could have tied or won the game.
"We were led by (Fowles), she was just outstanding, both offensively and defensively. We needed every bit of it," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. "She had a stretch where she couldn't convert, but it was a lot to be on just one person. Syl has grown. I told her, it was outstanding."
Fowles was able to take second-year Suns forward Jonquel Jones to school in the game. Jones, who has taken over a leadership role with the season-ending injury sustained by Chiney Ogwumike, is leading the WNBA in rebounding at 12.7 per game, but she had a tough time with Fowles. Jones did finish with 16 points and six rebounds. She is averaging 14.3 points per game this season.
"I think the physicality of the game got to me," Jones said. "You're playing against big bodies who had been playing the game for a long time and are just so much smarter with (what) they do."
Fowles is tied for fourth in the league in scoring (21.5 points per game) and third in rebounding (10.8 per game).
Seimone Augustus had 16 points and Maya Moore 12 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Lynx on Tuesday.
"Seimone was also really, really good," Reeve said.
Jasmine Thomas led the Sun with 18 points, including a career-high five 3-pointers. Morgan Tuck added 12 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
The Sun recorded 13 steals Tuesday.
Ogwumike is clearly frustrated over not playing, trying to deal with the inactivity to help her team any way she can while landing a job at ESPN.
"It stinks that I am not playing, but I am a religious person and to me this is like God saying, 'Hey, here's something else you can do,'" she told the Hartford Courant. "I'm 25 years old. Nothing is the end of the world. One season closed ... but a door opened off the court. Now I'm like the Connecticut Sun's ambassador in Bristol."
