Storm-Lynx Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Jun 05 2012 2:11PM

While the defending WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx are creeping up on the best start in league history, they feel they're capable of playing a whole lot better.

That surely doesn't bode well for the struggling Seattle Storm.

Looking to improve to 8-0, the Lynx try for a 20th win in 21 home games Wednesday night against the Storm.

Enjoying its best start in team history, Minnesota (7-0) extended its regular-season winning streak to a franchise-best 10 games Sunday with an 83-79 victory over San Antonio. Reigning rookie of the year Maya Moore and Rebekkah Brunson each scored 17 points while Lindsay Whalen added 15 for the Lynx, who have won 19 of 20 at the Target Center - including their title run.

Minnesota is two victories away from matching Los Angeles' WNBA-best 9-0 starts from 2001 and 2003, and this is only the sixth 7-0 start in league history.

"We're just trying to focus on the next shootaround, the next game," Whalen said.

It hasn't, however, all been smooth sailing for the Lynx, who nearly let one slip away again versus the Silver Stars. Minnesota led by 26 midway through the third quarter before hanging on for the win.

"Just the ability to finish off an opponent is something we're trying to find our way through," said coach Cheryl Reeve, whose team blew a 24-point lead before winning on Whalen's last-second shot in a 79-77 victory at Washington on May 30th.

While Minnesota shot 53.0 percent from the field, it made just 9 of 16 free throws and forced a lackluster seven turnovers.

"We're going to have to clean it up; we're not going to just rest on `Yeah, we got the win," Moore said. "When we play at our best we feel unstoppable, and we still haven't played at our best."

Seattle certainly hasn't played its best, either. The Storm dropped to 1-4 with Sunday's deflating 67-65 loss at Los Angeles.

Seattle led by seven with just over four minutes remaining but couldn't hold off the Sparks, who prevailed on Nneka Ogwumike's jumper with 2.5 seconds to go.

"Losses are tough, period, but (especially) the ones that are last second," forward Tina Thompson said. "It stings a little bit because you think about the opportunities that we had to change the outcome.

"We've had time to kind of practice on our things. We're nowhere near where we need to be but we're getting better defensively."

Continuing to play without three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson as she prepares for this summer's Olympics for Australia, the Storm limited Los Angeles to just 34.9 percent shooting and outrebounded them 38-33.

"We're a team that's improved a lot in two weeks, and we're not done improving," coach Brian Agler said.

Seattle's lone victory came 76-58 over Tulsa - the league's only winless team - on Friday.

The Lynx, who took three of four from the Storm last season, outscored them by a combined 32 points in two home wins - including a 92-67 rout July 29.

Lynx improve to 8-0 with rout of Storm

Posted Jun 06 2012 10:51PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) With their best player on the bench in street clothes, the still-unbeaten Minnesota Lynx turned in their most lopsided win of the season.

Taj McWilliams-Franklin scored 17 points and the Lynx improved to 8-0 with a 79-55 rout of Seattle on Wednesday night.

The Lynx moved within one victory of tying the WNBA record set by Los Angeles in 2001 of victories to start the season. The Sparks also won their first nine games in 2003.

The win came without leading scorer Seimone Augustus, who was sidelined with a right quad strain.

``It's disconcerting for the rest of the league when we don't have our best player...and we still win by almost 30,'' said McWilliams-Franklin. ``That says a lot, especially with the defense that Seattle is known to play.''

It didn't matter with five Lynx players scoring in double figures - McWilliams-Franklin, Maya Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, Devereaux Peters and Candice Wiggins.

``I told Seimone, `it must feel good that we really don't need you,''' joked Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. ``It felt good for Maya and Wiggins because our thing was when we're a man down we've got to man up. We didn't want to have any heroes. We were going to do it as a team and cover for Seimone.''

Seattle, which fell to 1-5, was paced by 14 points from Tanisha Wright, but never fully recovered after falling behind early. Storm coach Brian Agler said that seeing Augustus out of the lineup for Minnesota is a situation he knows well.

``We're pretty familiar with not having our best player,'' said Agler. The Storm are without leading scorer Lauren Jackson, who is training in Australia for the Olympics. ``We don't really talk about it at all. I look at it as an opportunity for some other players to step up.''

It was Seattle's second loss in Minnesota in 10 days. The Storm got off to another poor start again, trailing 25-8 after one quarter.

Trailing by as many as 18, the Storm made a second quarter run and cut Minnesota's advantage in half, but the Lynx hit two shots in the final minute of the half and led 43-30 after 20 minutes. Brunson led all first half scorers with 10 for Minnesota, while Wright had 8 points for the Storm.

Seattle, which is in the midst of a season-long five-game road trip, started another mini-rally early in the third quarter, cutting the Lynx lead to seven points in one stretch, but again saw Minnesota's WNBA-leading offense turn the tide.

``Sometimes you learn more when you lose,'' said Sue Bird, who had five points for Seattle. ``Unfortunately we've been doing a lot of that, so hopefully we're learning from this and we'll be able to turn it around.''

Augustus warmed up but was not able to play with a nagging injury that has gotten progressively worse. Reeve made the call to give Augustus, the MVP of the 2011 finals, the night off.

``I told her I had a great time sitting courtside,'' said Augustus, who will try to play in Minnesota's next game, Saturday in Tulsa.

``It's hard to sit there, but at the same time I had a lot of fun tonight seeing them play well together.''

• Storm: --
• Lynx: --

• Storm: --
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #9 Denise Brooks, #53 Jeff Smith
• Attendance: 8263
• Duration: 1:48