If the Minnesota Lynx expect to bounce back from their first home loss of the season, they'll have to do it against a Sacramento Monarchs team that has dominated them despite the location.
The Western Conference-leading Lynx will try to secure their fourth win in five games at the Target Center on Thursday as they face the Monarchs, who have won 11 of the teams' last 12 meetings and each of the last five matchups in Minneapolis.
After opening the year with five straight victories, Minnesota (6-2) has dropped two of its last three games, with both losses coming to East-leading Connecticut. The Lynx fell 75-66 at home Tuesday for its second defeat to the Sun in four days.
Rookie guard Candice Wiggins scored a career high-tying 22 points off the bench, and Seimone Augustus finished with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for the Lynx, who shot a season-worst 33.3 percent from the field.
"There's going to be nights when we're not going to be able to shoot the ball," Lynx coach Don Zierden said.
The defeat ended Minnesota's six-game home winning streak that dated to last season. The Lynx are now hoping to avoid back-to-back losses at the Target Center since a five-game skid from July 3-25.
They'll have an opportunity to do that against Sacramento, which has won five straight in Minnesota since an 83-73 overtime defeat on July 11, 2004.
The venue, though, hasn't mattered in matchups between the Western Conference rivals as the Monarchs (4-4) hold a 21-11 advantage in the all-time series after winning three of four meetings against the Lynx last season.
But it was Minnesota that came away with a 78-73 victory in Sacramento on July 29 in the teams' most recent matchup. It was the Lynx's first win in 12 meetings with the Monarchs since beating them at home nearly four years ago.
Augustus scored a career-high 39 points in the outing, and averaged 15.5 in the four-game season series against the Monarchs.
The third-year star is averaging 18.8 points to lead Minnesota, which boasts one of the highest-scoring offenses in the WNBA with 83.6 points per game. The Lynx now face a Monarchs' team that has limited opponents to an average of 75.1 points.
"Sacramento is a defensive team that likes to push the tempo on offense," guard Noelle Quinn told Minnesota's official Web site. "They are also very intense and they hang their hat on their defense as well."
On Wednesday night, the Monarchs took the lead for good on Nicole Powell's jumper with 1:18 remaining and held on for a 79-76 win in Washington.
Powell and Kara Lawson both turned in season-high performances of 28 and 22 points, respectively, for Sacramento, which has won the first two contests on its three-game road swing.
The Monarchs will try for their first three-game winning streak since June 11-19, 2007.
Last season, Powell averaged 20.3 points versus the Lynx, while forward Rebekkah Brunson had 10.3 points per game in the season series.