Fever-Lynx Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jun 05 2010 11:47PM

Despite getting Candice Wiggins back on the floor, the Minnesota Lynx managed only mixed results against two of the WNBA's faster-paced clubs.

The Lynx will likely have more time to breathe in their next game, but topping the surging Indiana Fever - the league's top defensive team and winners of four of five - could prove difficult Sunday night at the Target Center.

Struggling Minnesota (2-6) seemed to get a boost when Wiggins returned from knee surgery Tuesday night against Phoenix. Although the guard scored just eight points off the bench, the Lynx snapped a five-game slide with a 92-82 home victory against the defending champions.

Wiggins started Friday at Tulsa and scored 22 points, but the Lynx couldn't contain the Shock and lost 92-79.

"I think our downfall tonight was we didn't get the stops we needed to,'' said forward Rebekkah Brunson, who scored a season-high 23 points. "We didn't get back in transition. They got a lot of open looks and they got the free throw line and we had a lot of mishaps on the defensive end."

The Lynx will now face a team that rarely suffers defensive mishaps. The Fever (4-3) are allowing a league-low 70.6 points per game, helping compensate for an offense that ranks near the bottom in both scoring (74.4 ppg) and shooting (41.7 percent).

Indiana shot 40.3 percent Saturday night against New York, but withstood a late Liberty rally and prevailed 78-73.

The Fever's Shavonte Zellous scored a season-high 23 points off the bench in her third game since being acquired from Tulsa, and Katie Douglas continued her emergence from a season-opening slump with 19.

"I wish I could flip a switch and be on, but it's just one of those things where I've got my legs back and got into a rhythm," Douglas said. "It feels good."

Douglas, who averaged a team-leading 17.6 points in 2009, scored 8.8 per game in the season's opening month before tallying 22 in Thursday's 79-57 win over San Antonio.

She scored 18 in last season's 91-81 victory in Minnesota. Ebony Hoffman led the way in that game with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Indiana.

Douglas was also one of only two Indiana players to reach double figures in a 96-74 home loss to the Lynx last season, while Charde Houston had 23 points to lead Minnesota.

Brunson is also averaging 14.3 points and 10.0 rebounds in four games for the Lynx since returning from Italy.

Cathings leads Fever past short-handed Lynx, 89-51

Posted Jun 06 2010 9:28PM

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Tamika Catchings scored 27 points to lead the Indiana Fever to its third straight win, 89-51 rout over the short-handed Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night.

Katie Douglas added 12 and Tammy Sutton-Brown and Shavonte Zellous each finished with 10 to lead the Fever (5-3) to their fifth win in six games.

Rebekkah Brunson led the Lynx (2-7) with 10 points and 12 rebounds, her third straight double-double. Candice Wiggins added 11, but shot just 1 for 8.

Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen missed the game with an undisclosed illness and the Fever took full advantage. Indiana held Minnesota to a franchise-low 11 field goals and 20.7 percent shooting.

Indiana finished 9 for 16 on 3-pointers, and held Minnesota to 0 for 4.

The Fever led by 20 at halftime and held Minnesota to 3-for-23 shooting to start the game. The Lynx went 11:15 between field goals during a rough stretch bridging the first and second quarters.

Wiggins hit a runner with 5:49 left in the second to end the drought, but Minnesota trailed by 24 by then.

Although they were playing for the third time in four nights, the Fever shot 56.3 percent in the first half and led by as many as 30 in the third quarter.

The Lynx have trailed by 20 or more in five games this season and by 30 twice.

• Fever: --
• Lynx: --

• Fever: --
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #48 Marissa Whaley, #53 Jeff Smith
• Attendance: 6444
• Duration: 2:3