MINNEAPOLIS — This was more than 90 minutes before the Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks would have a noon tipoff at Target Center. The WNBA game was scheduled to be televised nationally on CBS.

There were 15 girls, maybe ages 10 to 13, ready to make a left turn from the skyway to the arena entry. The youngsters were wearing T-shirts saluting their basketball team, and they couldn’t have been more excited to be there to see their heroes:

Napheesa Collier and the other standouts that have turned the Lynx once again into a high-flying franchise.

Once in the long hallway, the players spotted the Jack Link’s shrine to their Sasquatch mascot in a sitting pose. The girls found various places to rest against this wooden beast, as they tried to outdo one another with goofy grins.

It is easy for sports reporters, even the 98% younger than me, to fret about the Vikings and Timberwolves and our other and take little note of what women’s sports — and particularly the Lynx — have done to serve as inspirations here for at least half the population.

The scene with the young basketball players was mentioned to Cheryl Reeve, Lynx coach and basketball boss, at the end of a solemn pregame media session.

It was intended as a small example that — along with great wins, harsh losses and championships — that her Lynx have become competitive role models for what’s now a third generation of teenagers.

The theory here was a scene like that, happy young hoopers hugging up a Sasquatch, waiting to get inside to see their much-admired Lynx romp to victory (101-78), was helpful on one of the most-horrendous days in Minnesota history.

Melissa Hortman, a DFL leader of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, were murdered in their Brooklyn Park home. Nearby, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were also shot, and had survived.

The gunman’s motives were political. The full inspiration for this was uncertain as Reeve spoke on Saturday morning. What was clearly true was this was an astounding example of the political divide and intolerance that separates this country as at no time since the Vietnam War (in my opinion).

Reeve became the Lynx coach in 2010, won four titles every other season from 2011 to 2017, and became basically the super-coach of the Minnesota sports scene with much of the public. Admittedly, I’ve dinged Reeve a few times through the years — particularly for her righteous indignation in the wake of defeat.

Doesn’t change the fact that she’s strong at coaching and team building, she’s been an articulate spokesperson for her sport and her gender’s place in our Sports World — and on this morning, what Minnesota was suffering through these political murders.

Among her comments, Reeve said: “Basketball; it’s what we do and we’ll go out there and do what we do, but God knows what we’re going to come off the court to learn what’s happening. It’s sickening …'’

This early matinee produced a Lynx sellout of 10,810 and was intended to be another celebration for Seimone Augustus, the franchise’s second true star after Katie Smith.

Augustus was in the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class. The big payoff on the pregame ceremony was the unveiling of Augustus’ No. 33 jersey (already retired) to now include the Hall of Fame addendum.

Augustus had spent three seasons with losing Lynx teams when Reeve was hired as coach for 2010. “Seimone is the great player who stayed with us,’’ Reeve said. “She was approached a year later by number of teams — illegally at that, saying, ‘It’s time to go, because Maya [Moore] is coming, and it won’t be your team now.’

And Seimone was one of those who would say, “Why would I leave now? This is what I’ve been asking for … a little help.’ ‘’

Lindsay Whalen was already here through trade, and Rebekkah Brunson, and eventually the great center, Sylvia Fowles. The Lynx now provide Target Center with its four true championship banners, and perhaps a fifth on the way with this outfit.

They missed by seconds last fall, and they are now a deeper-looking team — with Collier as the favorite to be MVP.

Glen Taylor financed the Lynx as an WNBA expansion team in 1996, near the start of his Timberwolves ownership. He hung with ‘em through little playoff success, while numerous other NBA owners were bailing out.

Taylor and his wife, Becky, made the drive Saturday from Mankato and were in the usual chairs next to the Lynx bench, Taylor, a former GOP leader of the Minnesota Senate, was first asked about the political murders.

“We turned on the radio this morning, and heard that, and like everyone else, couldn’t believe it,’’ Taylor said. “When I had that job, Roger Moe led the DFL and on important bills, we worked together. Now, it’s so heated. And then this happens. It’s beyond terrible.’’

Taylor will be relinquishing ownership of the Timberwolves and the Lynx to Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez in the near future.

“I doing OK with it,’’ he said. “We get to keep our same seats — for the Timberwolves and the Lynx. The Timberwolves … I basically ran them on a budget. For the Lynx, I knew I was going to write at that check for $2 million at the end of every season.

“Best thing we ever did was hire Cheryl. She is such a smart coach in evaluating players, knowing how they are going to fit.’’

How’s the Lynx budget these days? “They are making a little money now,’’ Taylor said.

The halftime conversation was interrupted when Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the center preceding Fowles, came over to give Taylor an embrace. And then the player of the afternoon, Augustus, did the same.

“We love the Lynx,’’ Taylor said. “That’s why we stayed with it for some down times. It took a few years, and hiring Cheryl, but Seimone was the player who started it all.’’

Great player — honored on a traumatic Minnesota day.

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