Silver Stars-Lynx Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Aug 14 2010 3:33PM

The San Antonio Silver Stars failed to clinch the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Minnesota Lynx earlier this week. They'll try again Sunday night.

Looking to stay in third place in the Western Conference, San Antonio tries to win its second straight at the Target Center as the Lynx go for a much-needed victory to close out their home schedule.

After taking the season series from Los Angeles last Sunday, San Antonio (12-18) sought to do the same versus Minnesota on Tuesday. The Silver Stars, though, fell one-half game behind the Lynx (11-19) for third in the tightly bunched West with a 73-66 loss.

The home team has dropped the last two matchups between these clubs after winning the first two this season.

San Antonio, which snapped a season-high five-game road skid July 22 with a 74-72 victory over Minnesota, is coming off a 94-74 win over Tulsa on Friday. Sparked by 18 points from Chamique Holdsclaw and 15 and eight assists from Becky Hammon, the Silver Stars snapped a four-game home losing streak.

San Antonio plays its final three games at home after Sunday's matchup.

"We go into Minnesota and we know it is 2-2 and it is our opportunity to take this tiebreaker, which is important," coach Sandy Brondello said. "Four games to go and Minnesota lost again tonight (61-58 at Washington on Friday) but we know that they are going to be hungry. They just lost two in a row. We have to go in there even hungrier."

The Lynx are looking to bounce back from consecutive close losses as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in six seasons. After suffering a 78-77 home loss at the buzzer to the Sparks on Thursday, Minnesota shot 20.5 percent and scored 18 points in the second half of Friday's defeat at Washington.

"We had a hard time scoring and didn't get the job done,'' said point guard Lindsay Whalen, averaging 9.5 points and 5.3 assists against San Antonio this season. "We weren't able to hit outside shots ... (the zone defense) worked for them and ended up being a big difference in the game.''

Forward Rebekkah Brunson has been a major factor against San Antonio, averaging 14.3 points and 11.3 rebounds. She had 12 points and 12 boards Tuesday, while Seimone Augustus added 20 points and eight rebounds.

Augustus, leading the team with 17.4 points per game, has averaged 18.5 and 50 percent shooting in the two home games versus the Silver Stars.

Sophia Young, who hit the winning free throws with 3.8 seconds left July 22, is averaging 14.5 points and 5.8 rebounds versus the Lynx in 2010.

Minnesota will try to take the season series from San Antonio for the fifth time in six seasons.

Whalen leads Lynx to 84-78 win over Silver Stars

Posted Aug 15 2010 9:16PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Lindsay Whalen scored 21 points, including six free throws in the final minute, and the Minnesota Lynx tightened the Western Conference playoff race with a 84-78 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars Sunday night.

The Lynx, Silver Stars and idle Los Angeles are tied for third place at 12-19 with three games to play. Only two will make the postseason.

Monica Wright had 20 and Seimone Augustus 17 for Minnesota, which won three of five against the Silver Stars this year. Head-to-head records is the first tiebreaker in playoff determination. Los Angeles holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with Minnesota, and the Silver Stars hold the tiebreaker with the Sparks.

Becky Hammon led San Antonio with a season-high 30 points, including six 3-pointers. Sophia Young had 12 and Roneeka Hodges 10 for the Silver Stars, who lost starting forward Chamique Holdsclaw, the team's third-leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, midway through the second quarter with sprained right ankle.

The Lynx have struggled to close out games this season, including blowing an 11-point halftime lead before losing Friday in Washington. Minnesota was beaten at home on a buzzer beater to Los Angeles Thursday.

It's one-time 15-point lead reduced to one on a 3-point play by Sophia Young, Rebekah Brunson scored four straight points for a 74-69 lead with 1:35 to play. Wright blocked a 3-pointer by Hammon leading to a shot clock violation after Brunson's first basket.

Edwige Lawson-Wade made two free throws for San Antonio, but Wright hit an off-balance jumper and Charde Houston scored a layup for a seven-point Lynx lead with 40 seconds to play.

Whalen made all six of her free throws to ice the game.

Hammon hit her sixth 3-pointer of the game to cut Minnesota's lead to 65-62 with 6:14 to play. Brunson made one of two free throws, but a 3-point play by Lawson-Wade made it a one-point game 2 minutes later.

San Antonio scored the game's first seven points, but the Lynx went on a 23-3 run over the first and second quarters, including 3-pointers by Wright and Augustus, for a 33-18 lead.

Two free throws by Hammon got San Antonio within 58-55 late in the third quarter.

• Silver Stars: --
• Lynx: --

• Silver Stars: --
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #18 Kurt Walker, #31 Amy Bonner, #53 Jeff Smith
• Attendance: 8678
• Duration: 1:58