It was a night of debuts in Minnesota on Wednesday. The Sparks showed promise with the return of a fully rested Candace Parker, while the Lynx added major component to their championship aspirations with the addition of Sylvia Fowles.

Minneapolis, MN — It was a dogfight at Target Center on Wednesday night with the Minnesota Lynx hosting the Los Angeles Sparks. The Lynx pushed through to secure an 82-76 victory over Los Angeles.

The Sparks were dominant in their outside game, with three players earning double-figure points. It was also the much touted season debut of Candace Parker, fresh off of a recovery period from her time overseas.

“It felt good to be back on the court,” said Parker “I definitely needed the time off, but there is nothing better than playing with my teammates. Tonight may not have gone our way, but I’m confident things will click once we get more practice together under our belt.”

Indeed, the Lynx did their best to dim the shine of Parker’s debut, although she scored twelve points and had nine assists, the Lynx’s one-two punch of Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore proved too much for Parker to top.

“They played well tonight. It’s rough when things don’t go your way, but they’re a great team and so are we and we’re going to continue to work on closing in tight game situations. I’m excited to be back and be able to help my teammates perform their best.”

However, the excitement wasn’t just about Candace Parker, as the Lynx added another link in their seemingly unbreakable chain in being the premier team in the West, with the addition of center Sylvia Fowles, also making her team debut. Fresh off of her trade from Chicago, Fowles wasted no time in establishing herself within the Lynx’s ferocious offense. She scored eleven points, had three steals, and five rebounds.

“I was so excited to be out there with this team,” Fowles said excitedly. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time and I just wanted to get out there and show that I could contribute.”

Indeed, Fowles looks right at home with Minnesota. With their frontline position now secured, the Lynx look poised to be a contender for yet another championship title.

“I’m just excited to be on this team,” said Fowles, “we have great chemistry and all the pieces to win a championship, now we just need to execute.”

Two teams at opposite ends of the league spectrum, the Lynx having the best record in the league (13-4) and the Sparks having the worst (3-14), yet they have one factor in common: they have players that enhance their overall roster and are happy among their teammates.

Parker makes the Sparks better though her leadership and decision making with the ball, while Fowles makes the Lynx better through her physicality and agility in the paint. Although there is plenty of season left, after Wednesday night’s performances, I would say it’s not too far-fetched to see these two teams meet again and face off…in the first-round of the playoffs.