Sylvia Fowles is unstoppable force in battle of WNBA's top teams
You saw the moment: Los Angeles had cut Minnesota's lead to two points with about 7 minutes left in Tuesday's much-anticipated matchup. This game, which might well have been a preview of the WNBA Finals, was living up to its billing. The Sparks, who had lost just once at Staples Center all season -- to Minnesota back in June -- were one stop away from a chance to tie it up or take the lead.
One stop away. Sounds so close, doesn't it? Except if the person you have to stop is Lynx center Sylvia Fowles.
In a battle of the top two teams in the league, the visiting Lynx prevailed 77-74. It didn't look like it would end up that close, until a last-second scoring surge by the Sparks. That was the kind of thing that might have Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve waking up in a cold sweat reliving it, kind of like that dream where you haven't been to class all semester and then have to take a final. And you say to yourself, "How the heck did this happen?"
But that little stumble before the finish line actually didn't hurt the Lynx (25-5). They won. They have secured one of the top two seeds in the playoffs. And they know they'll be in the best-of-five semifinals.
Los Angeles (24-6) is pretty close to nailing down a bye to the semifinals too. But the Sparks know that if they are to make a title run, the Lynx are probably going to be in the way. And Fowles, who was last season's WNBA Finals MVP after a 3-2 series win over the Indiana Fever, is helping make the Lynx seem just as hard to topple this season.
So back to that moment on Tuesday. With the Lynx protecting a two-point lead, Fowles got the ball at the top of the lane on a pass from Seimone Augustus. At that juncture, Fowles had 17 points, and the Sparks tried to collapse on her. Everybody on the team -- and a few of the Sparks' fans, it seemed -- got between the 6-foot-6 Fowles and the basket.
OK, actually, it was "only" three Sparks defenders who attempted to stop her. You know, just three terrific players 6-2 or taller: Candace Parker, Jantel Lavender and Nneka Ogwumike. Fowles had to turn around, put the ball on the floor, step to the basket, not lose the ball and make a shot while closely guarded.
She did just that. At which point, if you're one of the Sparks, you had to say, "There's just not much we can do about that."
That is usually the case with Fowles when she gets the ball where she can do damage. You can't really prevent it, no matter how good your defense. Fowles finished with a game-high 21 points on 9 of 11 shooting and added nine rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots.
As great as the Lynx are collectively -- which is very, very great -- Minnesota's individual star power also displayed its wattage on Tuesday. Maya Moore -- who definitely should not be overlooked in the regular-season MVP race -- was outstanding with 20 points and seven rebounds. She followed Fowles' big basket by pulling down a rebound off a missed Sparks shot, bringing the ball down the court and pulling up for a 3-pointer that swished.
If that were the only one-two punch the Lynx could throw at teams, it would be devastating enough. Add in Augustus' offense, Lindsay Whalen's court savvy, Rebekkah Brunson's defense and rebounding, the bench's ability to give the Lynx dependable depth at every position -- and it can seem Minnesota is an insurmountable force.
Yet the Sparks -- thanks in part to an unexpected but good-to-see 20 points from reserve guard Chelsea Gray -- were able to take it to the wire. Still, they and every other potential challenger to the Lynx have to look at Fowles as a particularly vexing problem.
She's a seasoned veteran and an Olympian. She has great strength, touch, footwork and resolve. And she's tough. Fowles took a fall in the opening moments of Tuesday's game that looked wincingly painful and no doubt felt a lot worse. But after a brief time on the sidelines, she was right back in the game.
It was a little over a year ago that Fowles joined Minnesota after the organization's lengthy negotiations to obtain her from the Chicago Sky. Her first Lynx game, after sitting out the season to that point, was against the Sparks on July 29, 2015. She had 11 points and five rebounds that night. And while it did take some adjustments for the Lynx to fully integrate Fowles, it all worked out exactly as planned, culminating with the franchise's third WNBA title.
Since coming to Minnesota, Fowles has been nothing but a joy for the Lynx staff to coach, so genuine is her desire to do things just as they want them done.
It seems odd to say the Lynx are back in the driver's seat in regard to the 2016 championship, because they never really seemed to be out of it. Nonetheless, it should be clear to everyone now: Minnesota is the favorite to win it all, and Fowles is a big reason why.
