Sparks-Lynx Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Jun 04 2011 1:01PM

Maya Moore couldn't quite overshadow Candace Parker in her much-hyped WNBA debut.

Moore will try to gain a measure of revenge in her home debut Sunday when the Minnesota Lynx and Parker's Los Angeles Sparks complete a home-and-home set.

The highly touted rookie led Connecticut to consecutive NCAA championships (2009-10), became the seventh women's player to score at least 3,000 collegiate points and was the No. 1 pick in this year's WNBA draft.

She led the way with 21 points for Minnesota in Friday's 82-74 loss at Los Angeles in the season opener for both teams.

"I was a little anxious, but I was excited to play," Moore said. "It was just exciting when the game started and you start making the first couple of shots, get into a rhythm, and you realize this is still basketball."

Her performance wasn't enough to prevent the Sparks from winning their eighth straight over the Lynx. Parker was the catalyst with 19 points and 10 rebounds in her first game in nearly a year.

Parker hadn't played a WNBA game since last June 13, when she dislocated her left shoulder. She made 6 of 9 field goals and scored 13 points in the first half, displaying the form that made her league MVP in 2008 after she was the first overall pick in the draft that season.

"Candace is back. She's back," Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom said. "The girl is just amazing.

"I love that she's back to where she can play any position now. That's the Candace that I've known from years back as a rookie."

Parker had surgery in late June and wasn't cleared to return to the court until November. She played in Russia before the WNBA season, but missed being with Los Angeles.

"I was extremely emotional before the game because it's been almost a year since I've been able to run through that tunnel and run onto that floor," Parker said. "I was excited to get out there, a little nervous. It was so much fun to be back there on the floor with my teammates."

Minnesota led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but the Lynx were outrebounded 41-33 and their bench was outscored 29-18 by the Los Angeles reserves.

The Lynx haven't been to the playoffs since 2004, having been derailed in the past by injuries to Seimone Augustus and Candice Wiggins. Minnesota, which went 7-10 at home last season, has a healthy roster now and is hoping to provide a bright spot in a gloomy local sports scene.

"The Wild's been struggling, Twins, Vikings, Timberwolves," Augustus said. "Everyone's kind of leaning on our shoulders. We welcome that opportunity for us to put some smiles on some people's faces around here."

Augustus, Moore lead Lynx past Sparks

Posted Jun 05 2011 7:20PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Maya Moore's first home game didn't start the way she had planned it. No problem for the No. 1 pick as she finished it in style.

Moore scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 86-69 on Sunday.

Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with 17, who beat Los Angeles for the first time in nine tries. The teams split their season-opening series, with the Sparks winning Friday night in L.A. after overcoming a 10-point second-half deficit.

``It's about darn time we beat L.A.,'' Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``I asked (center) Taj McWilliams-Franklin if we were ready when I was in the locker room and she said, 'Coach, we are so (angry) about the game we let go.' They played that way ... with a sense of urgency.''

Moore, who scored 21 points in her WNBA debut in Los Angeles, had a rough first half Sunday, hitting only 1 of 5 shots while playing just over 7 minutes after picking up two quick fouls.

Meanwhile, the Lynx saw a 12-point second-quarter lead cut in half as the Sparks hit 3-pointers on their last two possessions before the break, including Ticha Penichero's heave from just inside the half-court line at the buzzer that pulled L.A. to within 46-40.

That's when Moore took control. She stole the ball on the Sparks' first possession of the second half and fed Lindsay Whalen for a fastbreak layup, then hit back-to-back 3s that forced a Los Angeles timeout.

``We said we were going to get those six points back and Maya took it personally,'' Reeve said of her halftime talk.

Moore added two other long jump shots and hit Whalen for an open 3 as the Lynx outscored Los Angeles 24-10 in third. It was a breakout stretch for the player many expect to become the WNBA's next big star, but after the game Moore said she wasn't trying to do anything more than help her team avoid a second straight collapse against the Sparks.

``I was just wanting to make up for the way we ended (the first half),'' Moore said. ``We knew we had to come out and be aggressive.

``I like how we responded,'' she added. ``I've always heard that the character of a team is tested after a loss.''

Kristi Toliver led the Sparks with 13 points, while Tina Thompson and Candace Parker each scored 11.

Meanwhile, Whalen had 10 points and seven assists for Minnesota and Rebekkah Brunson added 10 points and 15 rebounds, her second straight double-double after setting a franchise record with 12 last year.

The Lynx dominated the boards, holding a 44-28 advantage after being outrebounded by eight on Friday. They also outscored Los Angeles 18-2 on the fastbreak and blocked four shots, including Moore's memorable swat of a Thompson shot that sent the ball three rows deep into the stands and brought the sellout crowd to its feet.

``She puts the ball in the hole for us and that's great, but she made so many big plays on defense for us too,'' Reeve said of her rookie guard.

Monica Wright and Amber Harris each scored 11, giving the Lynx six players in double figures on the day.

``That's who we said we wanted to be. That is the depth,'' Reeve said. ``Our bench is not bad, and nights like this with six people in double figures, that's what we want to be.''

• Sparks: --
• Lynx: --

• Sparks: Toliver
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 9

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #38 Lamont Simpson, #21 Byron Jarrett, #24 Tony Dawkins
• Attendance: 10123
• Duration: 1:51