Sunday’s game was a homecoming in more ways than one.
The Dream, fresh off of a road trip, returned to Philips Arena to open a five-game home stand against the Lynx.
And then there was the game’s main attraction, Atlanta native Maya Moore, who was back home in a Minnesota uniform to face the Dream for the first time in her young WNBA career.
“It’s just really exciting to be back in Georgia where I have so many good basketball memories,” Moore said.
Moore's homecoming was a happier one as the former Collins Hill High School and Connecticut player scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Minnesota’s 77-64 victory over the Dream on Sunday .
“It starts on the court with my team coming out, really executing and having a great first quarter and a great fourth quarter,” Moore said.
Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with a game-high 19 points.
The Dream (1-5) trailed by as many as 23 and cut the deficit to 10 with 2:30 remaining in the first half, but couldn’t get any closer against Minnesota (5-1). The Dream shot a dismal 30 percent from the field, connecting on just two of 18 shots from 3-point range.
“We had open looks, we had open looks, we had open looks,” coach Marynell Meadors said with emphasis. “We just couldn’t get it to fall.”
Dream forward Angel McCoughtry was matched up against Moore on defense, a pairing that wasn't a new one. The players attended a Las Vegas training camp for the U.S. National Team in mid-May.
“They’ve guarded each other a lot in USA Basketball,” Meadors said. “They will vie for the same position on the Olympic team coming up.”
Lindsay Harding led the Dream with 14 points, while McCoughtry added 10. Erika de Souza turned in a double-double performance, grabbing 12 rebounds to go with 10 points.
“She always has two or three defenders around her, and two or three rebounders around her,” Meadors said of de Souza’s inspired play. “Somehow or another she comes up with [the ball].”
The Dream had a new face in Courtney Paris, who was added to the Dream roster on Saturday to cover Sancho Lyttle’s absence. Lyttle will miss four more games as she competes for Spain’s national team in Eurobasket Women 2011. Paris scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds against the Lynx
“There’s two ways to look at it when you bring a player in like [Paris],” Meadors said. “She could come in and beat somebody out, or other teams are going to have an opportunity to look at her. She has a chance to get back in the league again.”
Once the game was over, Moore spent time with her family, friends and fans. Moore held a meet-and-greet session on the court after the game. She had a big following at Sunday’s game, from her former AAU team, the Georgia Metros, to fans sporting homemade “Maya 23” shirts.
“Outside of the game is when I enjoy it most,” Moore said of her homecoming. “I’m glad to be able to play here."
It was Moore’s first game in Philips Arena, but not first in her hometown. Last November, Moore returned to Atlanta with Connecticut to face Georgia Tech. The Huskies won 71-51, led by a game-high 30 points from Moore.
“It’s a different feeling as a pro,” Moore said of returning seven months later in a WNBA uniform. “It’s a different group as far as the fans that come out, so hopefully people who haven’t gotten to watch me before and watch my team will want to come back.”
Moore's appearance was responsible for an announced attendance of 7,274.
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