USA - Lynx lower the boom early in Game 1

MINNEAPOLIS (WNBA) - The Minnesota Lynx blew out the Atlanta Dream 84-59 in the opening game of the WNBA Finals on Sunday.

Led by USA international Maya Moore, who had 23 points, the Lynx raced into a 24-16 advantage by the end of the first quarter and then had a 44-25 stranglehold on proceedings by half-time.

The Dream, who knocked off last year's champions, Indiana Fever, in the Eastern Conference Finals, never threatened the rest of the way.

Monica Wright and Seimone Augustus had big games for Minnesota, too, with 20 and 19 points, respectively.

Atlanta will attempt to pull even in the series when on Tuesday in Minneapolis.

The visitors will need a better shooting performance from their leading player, Angel McCoughtry.

The veteran had 17 points on Sunday but she was hounded by a Lynx defense from start to finish, and especially by Rebbekah Brunson.

McCoughtry made just six of 24 shots from the floor.

"Everybody has cold days," said McCoughtry.

"This was a cold day today. We'll get in the gym, get some shots up and we'll shoot better on Tuesday."

Minnesota beat Atlanta in the 2011 WNBA Finals but lost to Indiana in four games last year.

"If you look at the way our season has kind of played out, you can tell we're all trying to make a different ending to this season," said Moore.

Moore, Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Wright and McCoughtry were each invited to the USA women's training camp that was held over the weekend in Las Vegas but had to miss out because of the Finals.

Each will be hoping to make the American squad for next year's FIBA World Championship in Turkey.

Augustus, Moore, Whalen and McCoughtry played on last year's gold-medal winning side at the London Olympics.

FIBA