Davis looks to build off debut as Wings host Lynx (May 19, 2017)
Kaela Davis hopes for a repeat of her impressive WNBA debut when the Dallas Wings host the Minnesota Lynx in their home opener Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.
Davis, a first-year guard who helped lead South Carolina to a national championship in the NCAA Tournament in March, scored 20 points in her first professional game Sunday in the Wings' season-opening 68-58 win against the Phoenix Mercury.
Dallas (1-0) trailed by two points at halftime despite a 10-point first half for Davis. The Wings pulled away in the fourth quarter, using a 19-9 run in the game's final 8:50 to seal the win.
Skylar Diggins-Smith added seven points, three rebounds and three assists in the victory.
The Wings return to College Park Center for their second home opener in Dallas after the franchise relocated from Tulsa ahead of last season. Dallas notched six of its 11 total wins at home last season and plans to lean heavily on its home fans once again.
"One of the big impacts that the move from Tulsa to the Dallas area had is on our fan base. I think that right of the bat, the support (in Dallas) was amazing, and the team has been settling in better this year," Wings assistant coach Bridget Pettis told DallasVoice.com.
Minnesota (2-0) is also coming off a win in Thursday's 90-71 rout of the host New York Liberty. Maya Moore scored 12 of her team-high 16 points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds as the Lynx outscored the Liberty 47-31 in the final half. It was Moore's 29th career double-double.
All five Lynx starters scored in double figures.
"When everyone gets involved and we have that balanced scoring, it's a great thing for us," Moore said. "We always feel better when we can play to our potential."
Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson had four rebounds against the Liberty and enters Saturday's game one shy of 3,000 for her career. She would become the fifth player in league history to achieve that milestone.
The Lynx also won their season opener Sunday, beating the Chicago Sky 70-61. Sylvia Fowles led the charge in that game with 26 points and 10 rebounds while Moore added 11 points.
Minnesota won all three games against Dallas last season by an average of 18.3 points. After losing the first two meetings by a combined 54 points, the Wings kept it close in the season-series finale, a 98-97 overtime loss at home.
