Silver Stars-Lynx Preview

By JEFF BARTL
Posted Aug 03 2011 2:50PM

The Minnesota Lynx haven't faced much adversity during their franchise-record winning streak, propelling them to the top of the Western Conference.

The second-place San Antonio Silver Stars provided the biggest challenge earlier this week.

Minnesota shoots for its eighth straight victory in the rematch Thursday night when it hosts San Antonio.

The Lynx (14-4) set a team record with their seventh consecutive win Tuesday by beating Phoenix 90-73. Rookie Maya Moore scored 22 points and Seimone Augustus added 21 for Minnesota, which extended its conference lead to three games.

"It's just on to the next one, one at a time," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "It can turn in an instant, for whatever reason, and we don't want to be that team that lets our guard down."

Momentum in the last matchup with the Silver Stars (11-7) shifted quickly, as Lindsay Whalen hit a fadeaway jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Lynx a 70-69 win Sunday after they trailed by 12 at halftime. Becky Hammon, who scored 15 points for the Silver Stars, missed a shot at the buzzer.

Hammon scored 11 in Tuesday's 78-64 loss to Seattle, the sixth defeat in 10 games for San Antonio.

"It doesn't get any easier," Hammon said. "Every night is a battle (in the West). We'll put one foot in front of the other and go in and try to steal a few."

Tuesday began a stretch in which the Silver Stars play four of five on the road.

"We've got to look at these road trips and grab hold of the opportunities when we can," coach Dan Hughes said. "We didn't get it (Tuesday), but we'll move on and get ready for Minnesota."

That may be easier said than done.

Augustus has averaged 18.8 points over her last four games and was named the league's player of the month for July. Moore was held to four points in the last meeting, but she's averaging 13.6 on the season. Whalen, whose last-second shot against San Antonio gave her a season-high 23 points, is averaging 14.1.

"We have a real good group that plays together," Whalen said. "We have lots of talent. As of right now, we're feeling pretty good."

The same likely can't be said for the Silver Stars after another defeat. They were riding high atop the conference heading into July with a 7-1 record but are now struggling to keep pace due to Minnesota's surge.

Making matters worse, rookie Danielle Adams will sit out her fourth straight game with a right ankle injury and will miss a total of four to six weeks. Adams was averaging 14.3 points at the time of her injury.

Lynx slip past Silver Stars 62-60

Posted Aug 05 2011 12:29AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When free agency began in the offseason, Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve made a call to 40-year-old center Taj McWilliams-Franklin.

Reeve figured the young Lynx could use a veteran presence. The second-year coach also figured McWilliams-Franklin could knock down the occasional jump shot, just as she had done when they were together in Detroit.

The pairing has worked out well.

McWilliams-Franklin scored 18 points, including the game-winning jumper with 1.3 seconds left, and added seven rebounds and the Lynx held on for a 62-60 win against San Antonio on Thursday.

``I don't know if there's a more consistent player than Taj, in that range,'' Reeve said. ``If you give her that shot, I feel like every time she shoots it, it's going to go in from that range.''

Candice Wiggins added 15 points on a career-high five 3-pointers for Minnesota (15-4), which extended its franchise-best winning streak to eight games, the longest streak in the WNBA this season.

The Lynx have won 10 of their past 11 games and extended their Western Conference lead over San Antonio, Phoenix and Seattle to four games.

``Not our best performance,'' Reeve said. ``It's not one that we will watch again, more than likely. All that matters is you got out of there with a 'W'. You found a way. ... Winning the game, no matter what it took or how it looked. Getting out of there with a 'W' is the most important thing.''

Sophia Young had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Silver Stars (11-8), who have lost three in a row. Becky Hammon added 15 points.

Tied at 60 with 11.6 seconds remaining, Minnesota point guard Lindsay Whalen drove the length of the court and kicked the ball out to where Rebekkah Brunson and McWilliams-Franklin were open. The pass glanced off Brunson's hand to McWilliams-Franklin, who connected from 18 feet.

``Lindsay sees a lot of things,'' McWilliams-Franklin said. ``I'm so slow, I was wide open.''

McWilliams-Franklin has scored in double figures in six straight games and is shooting 62 percent from the field during that time.

``She's money in the bank from 15 feet, 15 to 17,'' Reeve said. ``It was comical to me because she didn't find her range right away. Taj has been somebody that has been so focused on helping her teammates understand what we're trying to do that her game suffered in the beginning, where she wasn't focused on her own game. Now what you see from her is focusing more on how to get those shots.''

It was reminiscent of Sunday's game between the two teams, when Whalen hit a game-winning jumper with 1.5 seconds left in a 70-69 Lynx victory.

``They've gotten us with one second left on the clock both times and that's the way the game goes sometimes,'' Hammon said. ``But we've got to shake these off because we competed well. Down the stretch, we don't know. We've got more games to come and playoffs in the future, so some of these little heartbreakers you've got to let go and do better next time.''

This game had a rough start.

The teams combined to shoot 19 percent (6 of 31) in the second quarter after a sluggish opening period. They combined for 15 points in the second and also combined for 17 turnovers in the first half.

Seimone Augustus, the reigning Western Conference player of the month, was 1 of 7 in the first half. Augustus and Whalen were a combined 6 of 26 for the game.

San Antonio led late in the fourth quarter until McWilliams-Franklin made two free throws for a 58-57 lead with just over a minute left.

The Lynx's defense held on the ensuing possession as McWilliams-Franklin deflected a pass and the Silver Stars missed a desperate, deep 3-pointer. Minnesota added a pair of free throws, but Jia Perkins hit three free throws to tie the game 60-all.

McWilliams-Franklin knows a pair of last-second wins against the second-place team don't come without a bit of good fortune.

``We're really lucky,'' she said. ``The shot that Lindsay hit over Jayne Appel, you can't draw things up like that. The shot today, hitting off some hands. You can't say, 'This is what we meant to do.' It's just basically lucky.''

• Silver Stars: --
• Lynx: --

• Silver Stars: --
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 11

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #39 Michael Price, #44 Felicia Grinter, #18 Kurt Walker
• Attendance: 8123
• Duration: 1:57