Fowles' return spoils Delle Donne's debut for Sky

There were two WNBA debuts of significance Wednesday morning at Allstate Arena.

Former Sky star center Sylvia Fowles was making her debut in Rosemont in a new uniform, as a member of the Minnesota Lynx. Fowles was traded from the Sky to the Lynx last summer in midseason.

Meanwhile, Sky forward Elena Delle Donne, the reigning WNBA most valuable player, was making her season debut. She missed the Sky's season opener on Saturday with a stomach virus.

Both Fowles and Delle Donne did not disappoint. Fowles simply got more help from her teammates as Minnesota, the defending WNBA champion, blew by the Sky, 97-80 on a School Day matinee.

Fowles finished with a team-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, her second straight double-double, while Delle Donne poured in a game-high 28 points.

The loss dropped the Sky to 1-1 on the season. Minnesota, which features four of the 12 U.S. Olympians on its roster (Fowles, Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen) improved to 2-0.

"It takes a full team effort to stop (Minnesota)," Delle Donne said. "I'm glad we played them early because it's a great measuring stick to see where we are. They've won championships, they have vets who know how to do it.

"It's always nice to play against them. You get excited about that."

So where exactly is the Sky, on paper one of the most talented teams in the league, on that measuring stick two games into the season?

"Where are we? I mean, I think we're a solid team," said Sky veteran guard and Chicago native Cappie Pondexter, who had 18 points. "I don't think we're a bad team. It's still early, still a lot to learn about ourselves. There are so many things.

"It would be easy to say, 'Oh, we lost (big), let's throw in the towel.' But why? It's so early. It's a long season. It's a long way to go. There is so much to get excited about. I'm not mad. I'm just happy to get back in the gym and watch video."

The Sky will need to hit rewind a few extra times on the game tape to figure out how to better defend in transition. Minnesota had a 21-5 advantage over the Sky in fast break points.

The Lynx were also efficient in many other offensive areas, hitting on 51 percent of their shots and ringing up 27 assists on 36 made baskets. Minnesota also had an edge in made free throws, 20-11.

Down by 6 points at halftime (46-40), the Sky made a statement to start the third quarter with a 9-0 run that provided a 49-46 lead. But within a few possessions, the Lynx made a statement of their own, regaining the lead with 10 unanswered points. With two minutes left in the quarter, Minnesota pushed its advantage to double-digits, 63-53.

"I credit our team. We went on that (9-0) run, but you have to sustain it," Sky coach Pokey Chatman said. "We've got a long way to go. We'll go back to work as soon as possible to make sure we improve in (the weak) areas."

Forward Tamera Young added 11 points and 6 rebounds off the bench for the Sky. Meanwhile, the Lynx also got double-figure scoring from forward Moore (22 points), reserve guard Renee Montgomery (15 points) and Augustus (10 points).