Sparks-Lynx Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Jul 25 2011 4:01PM

Just like last season, the Minnesota Lynx entered the All-Star break on a positive note. One major difference is their current spot in the standings.

The Lynx will try to remain atop the Western Conference after a visit from the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday night.

Minnesota earned its third straight win Wednesday, 106-98 in Phoenix to move one-half game ahead of the Mercury atop the West.

Seimone Augustus, one of the Lynx's league-high four All-Stars, matched a season high with 25 points and has averaged 19.6 over the last five games - nearly four points above her team-best season average of 15.9.

Minnesota (10-4) won four of six entering last year's All-Star break, but its overall mark was 6-11 en route to a sixth consecutive postseason absence. No. 1 overall draft pick Maya Moore, averaging 14.2 points this season, and fellow All-Stars Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen appear primed to help the Lynx end their drought.

Brunson is averaging a career-best 13.4 points and a league-leading 10.8 rebounds, and scored 20 points in the All-Star Game. Whalen is contributing a career-high 5.9 assists per game and averaging 13.9 points - just shy of her career-best 14.0 average with Connecticut in 2008.

"We just have to stay focused," Moore said. "I think it's a really special year for us. We have the pieces that we need for a championship team. It's just a matter of locking in."

All four Minnesota All-Stars scored in double figures, led by Augustus' 17 points, in an 86-69 home win over the Sparks (6-8) on June 5. Amber Harris - this year's No. 4 overall draft pick - and Monica Wright chipped in 11 apiece off the bench as the Lynx snapped an eight-game skid in the series and avoided a home-and-home sweep.

Minnesota had trouble with Los Angeles star Candace Parker in the season opener June 3, as she had 19 points and 10 rebounds in the Sparks' 82-74 win. The All-Star forward, though, is currently out with a torn right meniscus and not expected to return until sometime next month.

The Sparks have dropped two in a row after winning their first two games under new coach Joe Bryant.

After blowing a 24-point lead to Washington on July 17, Los Angeles couldn't complete a rally from an early 15-point deficit and fell 79-69 to San Antonio the following day. The Sparks drew within a point with 9:20 remaining, but made one basket and one free throw over the next 5:43.

"You never want to lose at home,'' guard Natasha Lacy said. "We have to get more victories wherever we play.''

Los Angeles' combined for 15 points in the loss to the Silver Stars. Tina Thompson, the WNBA's career leader with 6,546 points, was held scoreless for the first time in 413 regular-season games.

Thompson is averaging 13.0 points in the season series with Minnesota.

Lynx beat Sparks 85-72 for 6th win in 7 games

Posted Jul 26 2011 11:31PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The surging Minnesota Lynx took advantage of Los Angeles' 25 turnovers to set a record in another big win.

Seimone Augustus scored 22 points as the Lynx scored a franchise-record 35 points off turnovers and went on to beat the the Sparks 85-72 on Tuesday night for their sixth win in seven games.

``I was really happy with the fact that we turned them over 25 times - 17 times in the first half,'' Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``We like to score off of that.''

Lindsay Whalen had 16 points and seven assists and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Lynx (11-4). Minnesota, which never trailed, held a 20-point lead at one point for the eighth time this season and showed no signs of rust from the All-Star break.

``Everybody was happy to see each other after having these days off, so we just kind of clicked immediately,'' Augustus said. ``We had fun tonight more than anything and just enjoyed being back on the court with our teammates.''

After needing 28 games to reach 11 wins last season, the Lynx did it in their 15th game this year, and are off to the best start in franchise history.

Minnesota won despite the ejection of All-Star forward Rebekkah Brunson in the fourth quarter after she was whistled for her second technical foul. Brunson finished with six points and six rebounds in nearly 24 minutes.

Kristi Toliver scored 28 points and Ebony Hoffman had 24 for the Sparks (6-9), who lost their third straight to fall to 2-3 since interim coach Joe Bryant replaced Jennifer Gillom on July 12.

Minnesota led by 16 in the first half and had a 43-30 advantage at the break. The Lynx opened up a double-digit lead for the 13th time in 15 games this season, as Lindsay Whalen and Taj McWilliams-Franklin each had 10 points early on. Ebony Hoffman had 13 points for the Sparks in the opening 20 minutes.

The Sparks hit three 3-pointers early in the third, whittling Minnesota's lead to just four, but the rally was short-lived once Augustus began to find the basket. The Lynx went on a 14-1 run and led by as many as 22.

``We had a couple of miscues once we came back,'' Bryant said. ``For three quarters we played well - the second, the third and the fourth we played good basketball. But that first quarter just dug us in a hole.''

• Sparks: --
• Lynx: --

• Sparks: Milton-Jones
• Lynx: Brunson, Brunson

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #45 Tom Mauer, #27 Penny Davis, #55 Eric Brewton
• Attendance: 8044
• Duration: 1:57