Just 48 hours earlier Lynx center Sylvia Fowles had sat in her locker at Target Center, tears in her eyes and her voice cracking with emotion. She had struggled, the Lynx had lost to the worst team in the WNBA and the frustration was boiling over.
Thursday? Redemption.
There was a lot of emotion in Target Center, too. It was the archrival Los Angeles Sparks, of course. National television. During the course of a rough-and-tumble game Rebekkah Brunson emerged as the greatest rebounder in league history. Seconds later, with seven minutes left in the game, after a no-call on Fowles, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was assessed two technicals and ejected as the announced crowd of 9,303 roared.
Through it all, Fowles stood out.
In an 83-72 victory over the Sparks, Fowles made 10 of 11 shots. She scored 27 points, grabbed nine rebounds. She also had a career-high seven assists on a night when both her and the Lynx bounced back with a vengeance after a down game.
"Two days can make a whole lot of difference," said Fowles, who had assists on three of the team's eight made three-pointers. "It was a new day, a new game. I just tried to take what L.A. gave me, pass when I needed to pass. Everything pretty much worked out well tonight."
The Lynx (11-7) won despite another off-night shooting for Maya Moore, who scored only eight points, hitting on only two of 13 shots — making her 5-for-28 over the past two games.
Afterward, Moore said she wasn't concerned. "I'm going to stay the course," she said. "It doesn't feel good to miss so many shots I usually make. I'll continue to focus on every aspect of the game. It's coming."
