The Seattle Storm say they feel like a much different team than the one that opened the season with back-to-back losses against the Minnesota Lynx.
Seattle (7-3) has won six games in a row going into Sunday night’s matchup with the Lynx (7-3) in Minneapolis.
The Storm are coming off a 78-65 road win over the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday.
Seattle coach Noelle Quinn said her players deserved credit for coming together after a bumpy start to the season. She said beating Las Vegas showed how far the Storm had come.
“It means that we can compete at a high level with one of the best teams in this league,” Quinn said. “It means that in a hostile environment, … we can find composure and find ways to execute. It means that this team is growing up.
“We talk about these experiences being morale boosters and confidence boosters as we’re finding who we are as a team and finding who we are as individuals and getting our feet under ourselves. For this team to come into Vegas early in the season and compete at a high level, it’s a positive for sure.”
Next comes a tough test against Minnesota, which has won three of its past four games and five of its past seven. However, the Lynx are looking to bounce back from an 81-80 loss to the host Phoenix Mercury on Friday.
Minnesota earned an 83-70 road win at Seattle in the season opener on May 14. The teams met three days later in Minneapolis, with the Lynx posting a 102-93 victory.
Lynx guard Kayla McBride will look to maintain her hot shooting on Sunday. She set a franchise record by making eight 3-pointers on Friday.
McBride finished with 25 points and shot 8 of 13 from beyond the arc.
“You think of people who have come through this franchise. I’m very honored to put my name there (in the record book),” McBride said. “But I always want to win the game. … I’d feel a lot better if we won.”
Minnesota is 4-1 at home this season. Seattle is 4-2 on the road.
