The undefeated Minnesota Lynx face what might be their toughest test of the young season, when they travel to Seattle to take on Jewell Loyd and the Storm on Saturday.
The Lynx (6-0) are the WNBA's only remaining unbeaten squad. They have feasted on weaker competition, though. Their last three opponents were winless.
The Storm (4-1) are tied with the Atlanta Dream for the second-best record in the league and are off to their best start since 2010. Loyd is second in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 21.4 points per game.
"One of the things that's special about this team is we have a lot of weapons and a lot of people who are willing to play as a team," Seattle coach Jenny Boucek told the Seattle Times. "Different nights, it's going to be different people depending on what the defense is doing and the matchups."
Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve isn't surprised by the Storm's strong start to the season.
"I think all of us knew Seattle finished the season strong last year, found their identity,'' Reeve told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "It's not a surprise they'd be a team that would come in and be doing well.''
No one is surprised about Minnesota's early success, either. The Lynx appear to be motivated after losing to the Los Angeles Sparks in last year's WNBA Finals.
Reeve was named WNBA Coach of the Month in May, and center Sylvia Fowles was named Western Conference Player of the Month.
Fowles shot 61.1 percent from the floor in May, averaging 20 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.0 steals per game.
The Lynx are coming off back-to-back blowout wins over Connecticut and San Antonio, but have been tested in previous games. They beat Dallas 89-87 on May 20 and Connecticut 80-78 on May 23.
"I like that we're finding ways to win,'' Reeve told the Star-Tribune. "While not necessarily playing, quote, our best. I think we've had games where we've played very well, for sure. It's not going to be every night you play your best. But, on the nights that maybe we're off a little for whatever reason, we're finding a way.''
The Lynx won all four meetings with the Storm last season and have beaten Seattle in nine of the last 10 meetings.
"We're taking things one game at a time and focus on that," Seattle forward Breanna Stewart told the team's website. "You want to have a strong season as a whole, not just the start."
