Rebounding, ball-handling and fast breaking were among the Lynx's strengths this season.
Blocking shots wasn't. They had nobody among the leaders in that category and averaged only 3.6 rejections per game.
Then Atlanta came to the Target Center. And it was slap, swat, stuff.
The Lynx set a WNBA Finals record with 11 blocks in beating the Dream 88-74 on Sunday at Target Center in the first game of their best-of-five series.
Game 2 is Wednesday. Look for Atlanta to switch to its big line-up, with 6-5 Erika de Souza at center replacing 6-foot forward Iziane Castro Marques. Although coach Marynell Meadors may decide to ease de Souza into the lineup and stay with Castro Marques' speed.
De Souza missed Atlanta's most recent playoff game, and two playoff victories over Indiana, because she was competing for her native Brazil in the FIBA Americas Championships in Columbia.
She made sure Brazil won the 10-team tournament to earn an automatic spot in the 2012 London Olympics.
Leading the Dream past the Lynx might be a tougher task for de Souza.
The Lynx have turned their defense up a notch. Exhibit A is the blocking chart. Six different Lynx players had blocks, with 6-2 center Taj McWilliams-Franklin leading the pack with three.
In two previous victories over Atlanta in June, the Lynx had three blocks and one.
The stakes are a bit higher this week. The Lynx are playing more aggressive. The oddity with that is the Lynx committed only 17 fouls. Atlanta was 14 for 16 at the free throw line but Angel McCoughtry (11 for 12) and Armintie Price (three for four) were the only players who attempted free throws.
De SOUZA INSTANT PLUS
Atlanta forward Angel McCoughtry is excited about de Souza's return. "She's great on the boards," McCoughtry said. "She is great on the boards. She is great scoring inside, and we're definitely going to look to her for that, look at the rebounds. [The Lynx outrebounded Atlanta 40-28]. We needed her and everyone else to step up."
McCountry tried last game. She had 33 points, two shy of the WNBA Finals record she set last year against Seattle, but she had only five rebounds.
"I've been drinking a lot of protein shakes, eating a lot of meat, trying to build myself up a little bit to bang down there," McCoughtry said. "But my metabolism is too high. As many times as I use the bathroom before a game, it ain't going to work."
Lynx forward Maya Moore said her team will play the same way against De Souza: "The game plan as far as moving the ball and being aggressive doesn't change," Moore said. "It's just one more player that we're going to have to work harder defending and just attack."
The Lynx, block by block in Game 1:
First quarter
1. Maya Moore blocks Iziane Castro Marques on a short jumper and grabs rebound, 1:20
2. Rebekkah Brunson blocks Angel McCoughtry on a layup; teammate Jess Adair gets rebound, 3:35
3. Monica Wright blocks Castro Marques on a short jumper and gets rebound, 7:55
Second quarter
4. Taj McWilliams-Franklin blocks Armintie Price who get rebounds and an assist on Dream basket, 2:12
5. McWilliams-Franklin blocks Coco Miller, ball goes out of bounds, awarded to Lynx, 4:14
6. Seimone Augustus blocks Castro Marques on 13-foot jumper, McWilliams-Franklin gets rebound, 9:21
Third quarter
7. Rebekkah Brunson blocks Lindsey Harding on short jumper, rebound goes out of bounds, awarded to Dream, 8:40
Fourth quarter
8. Lindsay Whalen blocks Harding on short jumper, tie-up called, Whalen wins tip, 1:00
9. Augustus blocks Courtney Paris on short jumper, Dream gets rebound, 6:09
10. Moore blocks Paris and steals ball, 7:50
11. McWilliams-Franklin blocks Harding on layup, Dream gets rebound, 9:08.
TURNING POINT
Obviously, the game changed when the Lynx, trailing 62-60, went on a 15-0 run starting late in the third quarter.
The scoring:
McWilliams-Franklin layup 62-62
Whalen layup and free throw, 65-62
Whalen tied up Lindsey Harding on defense, tips ball to teammate, scores on mid-range jumper that bounces on rim and drops, 67-62
After missed shots by Whalen and Augustus, Augustus shoots again and scores on short jumper, 69-62
Candice Wiggins blocked, but Rebekkah Brunson scores on long jumper, 71-62
Wiggins layup, 73-62
McWilliams-Franklin layup on fast break, 75-72
DREAM PLAYERS HOT AND COLD
Lindsey Harding ws seven for 10, including two for three on three pointers, and had 16 points by halftime ... In the second half, she was two for nine for four points and finished with 20
Iziane Castro Marquez was five for 14 for 10 points in the first half. ... She took only one shot in the second half and missed it.
... COLD AND HOT
Angel McCoughtry was a quiet two for five with two free throws for six points in the first half. ... She was eight for 15 in the scond half and nine for 10 at the free throw line in the second half for 27 points. She finished with 33.
... JUST COLD
Center Sancho Lyttle and guard Armintie Price were both zero for five from the field. Lyttle finished with zero points, Price with three on three for four at the free throw line. That wouldn't be so bad except both were starters and played 28-plus (Lyttle) and 36-plus (Price) minutes.
