The Detroit Shock appear content to be cautious in the final week of the season before trying for a second consecutive WNBA title when the postseason begins next week.

Without some of their top players in the lineup and others expected to play limited minutes, the Shock look to avoid matching a season high with a third straight loss Thursday when they visit the lowly Minnesota Lynx.

Detroit (24-8), which will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, lost 81-73 to Houston in its regular season home finale Tuesday.

"You're half-trying to rest and half-trying to compete,'' guard Katie Smith said. "It's a hard mix to go out there and get the job done.''

The Shock were without forward Cheryl Ford, who will finish the regular season sidelined with a knee injury, and reserve Kara Braxton, who served the first of a two-game suspension for a drunk-driving offense.

All-Star Deanna Nolan scored 20 points and Smith added 16 for the Shock, who last lost three in a row from June 29-July 6.

With All-Stars Ford and Braxton out and Swin Cash limited to three points in 15 minutes because of a sore back, Nolan played 31 minutes and Smith 26 on Wednesday.

"I told those two after the game that I had played them too many minutes,'' Shock coach Bill Laimbeer said. "That won't happen again the next two games."

Laimbeer also said Ford - who has missed the last 11 games - is expected back for the playoffs, while Braxton should return for the team's regular season finale Sunday at Indiana.

"This is real-world stuff she's dealing with,'' Laimbeer said of Braxton, who's averaging 6.6 points per game but 12.7 in her last four. "We'll just wait until she comes back.''

Nolan, averaging 16.7 points on the season and 20.7 in her previous four contests, scored 21 in an 85-75 home win over Minnesota on May 22 in the teams' most recent meeting.

The Shock will try to win their fifth straight over the Lynx (8-24), who lost 81-67 at Seattle on Tuesday.

Minnesota needs victories Thursday and Sunday at home against San Antonio to avoid posting the worst record in franchise history. The Lynx were 10-24 last season.

All-Star Seimone Augustus, one of the few bright spots for the Lynx in 2007, scored 28 points for the second straight game Tuesday.

"I just tried to be aggressive,'' said Augustus, who's averaging 23.0 points and is second to Seattle's Lauren Jackson (23.6) in the race for the league scoring title.

Augustus, a second-year guard, is averaging 25.2 points in her last four contests and 20.0 in three career games against the Shock.