Lynx-Sun Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Aug 15 2011 12:46PM

Maya Moore is in a familiar place as she returns to Connecticut - playing a major role for the best team in the land.

Moore will play her first professional game in the state where she starred in college as the Minnesota Lynx visit the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday night.

The top overall pick by Minnesota in 2011, Moore became one of the greatest players in NCAA history during her four years at the University of Connecticut. She helped the Huskies win two national titles and put together a record 90-game win streak.

Moore leads rookies with 13.3 points per game, though she hasn't had to shoulder the load for the league-leading Lynx (18-5) as one of four players averaging in double figures.

Minnesota has matched its franchise record for victories in a season by winning 11 of 12. Moore had nine points in 24 minutes of an 82-54 win over league-worst Tulsa on Sunday, a matchup that reminded the shooting guard of her Huskies days against overmatched opponents.

"I'm very used to that mindset of not playing to the scoreboard. It's about the quality of play,'' Moore said. "There's just some things we have to tighten up, just continuing to stay focused every possession. That's what it's going to take to win a championship."

Seimone Augustus scored 16 points and former Sun guard Lindsay Whalen chipped in with 12 and nine assists.

"We're a team that's striving for perfection," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We're carrying the label of the best team in the league. With that goes a lot of responsibility every time you step on the court to play great and be the great players that they are."

The Lynx have lost their last six visits to Connecticut (15-8), but should be confident in their chances of ending that slide due to their 90-67 home victory over the Sun on July 9. Moore made six 3-pointers and scored 26 points as Minnesota enjoyed its biggest win in the 23-game history of the series.

Whalen had six points and two assists in her first game as a visitor at Mohegan Sun Arena on May 27, 2010, a 105-79 loss. She spent her first six seasons with Connecticut.

The Sun trail first-place Indiana by 1 1/2 games in the Eastern Conference. They are tied with the Lynx for the WNBA's second-best home mark at 10-2.

Tina Charles and Renee Montgomery scored 16 points apiece in an 82-75 home win over Washington on Saturday. The Mystics made 11 of their first 16 shots before the Sun started playing better defense.

"I don't know if it was their hot shooting or our bad defense," Connecticut coach Mike Thibault said. "But after the first quarter we looked like we were supposed to look."

Charles scores 16 as Sun routs Lynx 108-79

Posted Aug 16 2011 10:57PM

UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) A sellout crowd came to see Maya Moore return to Connecticut.

Tina Charles stole the show.

She had 18 rebounds and scored 16 points to help the Connecticut Sun send the Minnesota Lynx to their most lopsided loss of the season, 108-79 Tuesday night.

It was the largest margin of defeat for the Lynx (18-6) this season, who own the WNBA's best record. Connecticut set a franchise record for regulation scoring.

``It is a great confidence booster, without question,'' Lawson said. ``They have been the best team in the league all year long. It was a measuring-stick game for us. Whenever you are playing the team with the best record in the league, you want to see how you stack up against them.''

Especially when that team has the league's big-name rookie.

Moore, the former University of Connecticut star, scored two points on 1-for-7 shooting in her return to Connecticut.

``Connecticut played well, played with confidence,'' Moore said. ``They hit their shots and we didn't get the job done on defense. We didn't meet the challenge.''

Renee Montgomery had 17 points and seven assists for Connecticut (16-8) while Kara Lawson had 16 points and made 4 of 5 3-pointers. Asjha Jones had 15 for the Sun and Kelsey Griffin added 14.

``We feel like we are building into a good team,'' Lawson said. ``We feel like we are a team that is going to make the playoffs and a team that has as good a shot as any team in the Eastern Conference to advance far.''

Lindsay Whalen led the Lynx with 20 points. Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson had 11 apiece.

• Lynx: --
• Sun: --

• Lynx: --
• Sun: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #8 Daryl Humphrey, #24 Tony Dawkins
• Attendance: 9323
• Duration: 1:53