Lynx-Shock Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jun 29 2011 2:32PM

The Minnesota Lynx insist they still have the confidence that helped produce their longest winning streak in three years, but a third consecutive loss might begin to erode some of that resolve.

The Lynx will try to prevent that by winning their fourth straight over the last-place Tulsa Shock on Thursday night.

After dropping its season opener, Minnesota (5-3) reeled off five consecutive victories and prevailed by double digits in four of those games.

A slow start against Seattle on Friday, though, kept the Lynx from extending their longest win streak since a 5-0 start to the 2008 season. Minnesota fell 65-55 to the Storm and then lost again Sunday, 78-75 to Indiana.

Minnesota scored two points over the final 2:19 and allowed the Fever to go ahead for good with 1:06 to play. Rookie Maya Moore matched a career high with 21 points, but only four came in the second half as she ran into foul trouble.

The Lynx were trying for a franchise-best 4-0 home start.

"Our (swagger) hasn't been shot down - just weakened," guard Candice Wiggins said. "In fact, I think teams should fear that because ... we have so many weapons and so much confidence."

Another matchup with the woeful Shock (1-8) might help Wiggins and her teammates maintain that attitude. Minnesota jumped out to 25-8 lead over Tulsa on June 7 and went on to win 75-65 at home.

Rebekkah Brunson sparked the fast start with seven of her team's first nine points, and she finished with a team-best 17 points and 15 rebounds. The veteran forward is one of eight players in WNBA history to average a double-double in a season, and she appears on her way to repeating that feat. She is scoring 12.1 points and grabbing a league-high 12.3 rebounds per game.

While the Lynx are among the league's best on the boards at 39.3 rebounds a contest, the Shock are near the bottom at 30.6. Tulsa also ranks low with 72.4 points, 40.1 percent shooting, 83.4 points allowed and a 48.1 field-goal percentage defense mark.

They're coming off their third defeat of at least 20 points, 83-63 at Washington on Sunday. The Mystics, who like the Lynx run an up-tempo offense, held Tulsa to 35.3 percent shooting.

The Shock, losers of three straight, shot a season-worst 33.8 percent in the loss to Minnesota.

"It's got to be mind hurting because you work so hard in practice and you don't get a paycheck, which is a victory," Shock coach Nolan Richardson said. "That can wear on anyone."

Liz Cambage, selected right after top overall pick Moore in this year's draft, has been a bright spot for her struggling club with double-digit scoring performances in all eight of her games. The 6-foot-8 Australian is averaging a team-best 15.3 points and her 6.4 rebounds per game rank second.

Since moving to Tulsa after the 2009 season, the Shock have lost four of six matchups with the Lynx and two of three at home.

Whalen, Wiggins lead Lynx to 101-71 win over Shock

Posted Jun 30 2011 11:58PM

TULSA, Okla. (AP) Lindsay Whalen helped the Minnesota Lynx break open a close game in the second quarter, and they didn't look back.

Whalen scored 13 of her 21 points in the second period as the Lynx outscored Tulsa 31-12 and went on to a 101-70 victory over the Shock on Thursday night.

``Lindsay was just really, really good in that second quarter,'' Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``She was the key to our transition game. She was really, really locked in from the get-go. There's not better guard in the league at attacking the basket than Lindsay.''

The Lynx, who led by 26 in the early minutes of the third quarter, finished with a season-high scoring total.

Candice Wiggins added 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field, reaching double-digits for the first time this season after going 5 for 22 in her last five games for the Lynx (6-3).

``Candice had been struggling,'' Reeve said. ``She had been in a little bit of a slump. After the Indiana game (when Wiggins had three points) I just thought she was ready to break out.''

Wiggins said she normally is a very positive person but admitted her faith was a little tested during the slump.

``Coach said I was struggling, that's kind of her,'' Wiggins said. ``That doesn't begin to say what I was. But I'm a confident person and I believe every time I shoot I think it is going in. That's what I was holding on to tonight. You can't lose that mentality. There's no stopping me now.''

Rebekkah Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin had 12 points each and Maya Moore scored 11 for Minnesota, which had lost consecutive games after a five-game winning streak.

``We were on a two-game losing streak and didn't want it to go to three,'' Whalen said. ``Everyone had good moments tonight. That was the difference.''

Ivory Latta scored 13 points for Tulsa (1-9), finishing three shy of reaching 1,000 for her career.

``I had no idea,'' Latta said. ``All I care about is helping my team. All that other, the 1,000 points, they can have that. All I care about is winning.''

Kayla Pedersen scored 12 points, and Tiffany Jackson and Jennifer Lacy had 11 each for the Shock, who took their biggest home loss in franchise history.

Tulsa's Sheryl Swoopes suffered a hamstring injury early in the game and did not return. She finished with five points in about 6 1/2 minutes. Initial thoughts were that Swoopes had suffered a ruptured hamstring but after the game she said she was good and would be ready to play the next game against Seattle on July 8.

``It's alright,'' Swoopes said. ``A couple of days off will do my body some good. I know it's not ruptured. It's better than they thought.''

Tulsa forward Tiffany Jackson, who also had five rebounds and four assists, injured her thumb but the severity of the injury was unknown.

``Hopefully she can play,'' Latta said. ``We just have to stay positive and strong.''

• Lynx: --
• Shock: --

• Lynx: --
• Shock: Richardson

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: BOK Center, Tulsa, OK
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #17 Scott Twardoski, #27 Penny Davis
• Attendance: 3970
• Duration: 2:0