The timing wasn't ideal for the Minnesota Lynx, who were forced to replace their coach just three days before the season opener.

The Lynx will play their first game under new coach Jennifer Gillom on Saturday night when they host the Chicago Sky, who enter their fourth season in the league looking for their first winning record.

Minnesota suffered its fourth straight losing season in 2008 with a 16-18 mark, but opted to bring back coach Don Zierden for a third season. The Minneapolis native, though, surprised the franchise Wednesday when he resigned to become an assistant with the Washington Wizards.

That left the Lynx in a bind, and they turned to Gillom, who played in the WNBA from 1997-2003 and was an assistant under Zierden last year.

"It's always been my goal to be a head coach in the WNBA and to achieve that in Minnesota is a dream come true," Gillom said. "We have so much talent here and I truly believe the sky is the limit for this team."

With teams having shortened three-week training camps, the promotion of Gillom made the most sense for Minnesota.

"We'll miss Coach Z, but Coach Jen will step right in and be a successful head coach in this league," second-year center Nicky Anosike said. "Coach Jen has taught me so much. I owe her a lot of credit for my successes in the league. She knows how to lead and she's the perfect person to take over."

If Gillom is an improvement over Zierden, it could make a difference for Minnesota. The Lynx have talent in leading scorer Seimone Augustus (19.1 points per game) and Sixth Woman of the Year winner Candice Wiggins (15.7). They have good size with Augustus and forward Charde Houston at 6-feet, Wiggins at 5-11 and Anosike at 6-3.

"I think we're big which means we're going to be able to give people a lot of problems on the inside. Our guard play is good so when you put all of that together I think we'll have a really good team," Houston said.

That size will be a factor against Chicago and 6-6 Sylvia Fowles. The second-year center missed 17 games as a rookie with a left knee sprain and averaged 10.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 17 contests.

With Fowles playing only half the season, Chicago went 12-22. The Sky were 2-12 against Western Conference foes, splitting two meetings with the Lynx.

Chicago selected Kristie Toliver of Maryland with the No. 3 pick in the draft after she averaged a team-high 18.4 points this past season.