WITH A WIDE smile and a clap of her hands, Sylvia Fowles brings her Minnesota Lynx teammates together in a dark tunnel that leads to their home court at Target Center.
"Take care of each other; protect each other," Fowles says as music from the arena seeps into their huddle, the noise growing louder as the 2,000-some fans prepare to greet their long-gone team.
Fowles, a 14-year veteran who is in her seventh season with Minnesota, brings up the rear as the Lynx take the court for their 2021 season opener on May 14 -- their first official game in Minneapolis in 621 days.