This past offseason the Lynx signed Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams and traded for Natisha Hiedeman.
Here are some good early returns: Smith scored a career-high 22 points, Williams had 14, seven assists, five rebounds and five steals and Hiedeman had nine points and five assists as the Lynx beat the Storm 83-70 on Tuesday in Seattle on opening night.
Coach Cheryl Reeve inserted Smith and Williams into the lineup with star Napheesa Collier (20 points, 12 rebounds), and had Hiedeman lead the second unit.
It all worked.
Down five with 6:49 left in the third quarter, the Lynx ended the third up three. Then they pushed the pedal in a 20-10 fourth quarter to win going away against a Seattle team that made just one three-pointer and shot 37%.
Nneka Ogwumike scored 20 for Seattle. Jewell Loyd had 10 points and 10 assists, but shot 3-for-19
Smith was the biggest reason why the Lynx were within two, 28-26, after a quarter.
The most accurate two-point shooter in the league last season, Smith made both of her first-quarter threes and scored 10 of Minnesota’s 26 points.
But, taking advantage of seven foul calls on the Lynx, the Storm made seven of 10 free throws to take a two-point lead into the second quarter.
The Storm started the second quarter on a 6-0 run — all three baskets coming off Lynx turnovers — to go up by eight before the quarter was two minutes old. But the Lynx battled back to tie the game at 38 on Smith’s three-point play with 2:59 left in the half.
The game continued to seesaw, with the Storm pushing to a six-point lead less than 90 seconds later.
But the rest of the half was all Lynx.
Minnesota finished the half on a 7-0 run. It started on McBride’s free throw after a three-second call on the Seattle defense. Then Williams scored. A Williams steal was turned into two free throws by Hiedeman with 27 seconds left in the half.
At the other end, Hiedeman stole the ball again, which led to McBride’s put-back and a 45-44 lead.
But the first half belonged to Smith, who scored 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting — she made two of three three-pointers — with four rebounds and two blocks.
Williams opened the second half with a midrange bucket, but the Storm scored eight straight to go up five on Skyler Diggins-Smith’s floater.
But the Lynx got six points from Collier and points from six players total in a 16-8 finish to the half. Hiedeman’s steal and bucket put the Lynx up five before Loyd hit two free throws.
The Star Tribune did not send the writer of this article to the game. This was written using a broadcast, interviews and other material.