WATCH AND LISTEN

20080705/MINSEA
Lynx-Storm Preview
By DAN PIERINGER, STATS Writer

Lauren Jackson of the Seattle Storm and Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx ranked first and second, respectively, in the league in scoring in 2007. Though both players' numbers are down this year, each showed in their last game that they can still dominate offensively.

After leading their teams to victory with season-high point totals, Jackson and Augustus highlight Saturday night's matchup between the Storm and the Lynx in Seattle.

Jackson led the WNBA with 23.8 points per game last season en route to her second MVP award. She's been slightly less productive in 2008, ranking third with 19.7 points, but a more aggressive approach in the paint helped the 6-foot-5 Australian forward score 33 points as Seattle (10-7) beat New York 84-71 on Thursday night.

"About 10 days ago we talked about getting more of a balance from Lauren Jackson inside and out," Storm coach Brian Agler said after his club improved to 9-1 at KeyArena. "She's a great 3-point shooter, but she's also awfully tough with her back to the basket.

"She's starting to buy into that. Let's just face facts - she's one of the best."

Jackson's 12-for-20 shooting performance was her best since she went 9-for-11 from the field in a win over Detroit on June 7. A career 46.2 percent shooter who's shooting a career-worst 28.2 percent from beyond the arc this year, Jackson had connected on 40.0 percent of her shots overall in Seattle's previous seven games.

"We're trying to get the ball inside," Jackson said. "Brian's really been stressing that. The shot was falling, so hopefully that will continue."

The 6-foot Augustus doesn't have the same post presence as Jackson. But the third-year guard out of LSU had no problem penetrating to the basket Thursday, when she went 12-of-21 from the field and scored 29 points as Minnesota (9-8) handed Los Angeles its biggest loss of the year, 88-70 at Staples Center.

"There were a lot of one-on-one situations where I was able to attack the basket or dish out to Candice (Wiggins) or Noelle (Quinn)," said Augustus, sixth in the league with 19.3 points per game after ranking second with 22.6 in 2007. "When (the Sparks) went into a zone, I just found a gap."

Augustus averaged 16.0 points as the Lynx split their four-game season series with the Storm in 2007. Jackson played in three of those games, averaging 21.3 points and 9.3 rebounds.

Seattle won both its home games against Minnesota last year, and has won three straight overall at home.

"Whether there is 4,000 people or 17,000, it is so loud in there," Storm guard Sue Bird said.

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