Lynx-Mercury Preview

By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO
Posted Sep 21 2012 2:20AM

The Minnesota Lynx are the reigning WNBA champions, and have already clinched the league's best record in 2012.

They can tie the franchise record for wins in a single season.

The Lynx enter their final two games of the regular season looking to beat the last-place Phoenix Mercury for a seventh time in a row Friday night.

Minnesota (26-6) owns the best record in the WNBA for a second consecutive season, and is one win shy of equaling its single-season record established in 2011.

The Lynx parlayed last year's success into a 7-1 playoff record to cruise to their first WNBA championship last year. That run included a two-game sweep of Phoenix (7-25) in the Western Conference finals, but there won't be a rematch in 2012.

With every spot in the playoffs secured, the Mercury are last in the West and have two games left to avoid their worst season in franchise history.

Phoenix finished 8-26 in 2003.

Minnesota, which will face Seattle in the opening round of the playoffs, may be looking to capitalize on the woeful Mercury in order to rebound from Thursday's 92-76 defeat to Los Angeles.

The Lynx have won six in a row against Phoenix, including last year's postseason sweep. They've taken all three matchups this season by an average of 18.7 points, including a 78-60 victory in Phoenix on June 15.

Lindsay Whalen had a season-high 29 points in that meeting, but was held to five in a 96-80 victory at home June 27.

It's unclear if she'll be available after missing Thursday's game due to a cold.

If Whalen is rested again, Monica Wright may get another chance to play a more prominent role. She had a season-high 19 points against the Sparks, one shy of her total over the previous three games.

Wright is averaging 13.0 points against Phoenix this season.

The Mercury have been outscored by an average of 18.4 points during a five-game losing streak that continued with Tuesday's 101-76 defeat at Los Angeles.

"They got a lot of fast-break points on us," guard/forward DeWanna Bonner said. "You can't come back on a team like that. It was a tough shooting night for us."

Bonner, who had 23 points against the Sparks, can't be blamed for Phoenix's struggles. She's averaging 26.3 points over four games, and leads the team with a career-high 21.0 points per game overall.

Guard Alexis Hornbuckle, a member of the Lynx last year, is looking to show improvement after shooting 4 for 12 from the field to finish with nine points Tuesday. She's totaled 12 points while making 5 of 16 shots - 2 for 7 from beyond the arc - in three season meetings against her former team.

Moore scores 21 points to lead Lynx past Mercury

Posted Sep 22 2012 12:34AM

PHOENIX (AP) Maya Moore scored 13 of her 21 points in the first half as the Minnesota Lynx cruised to an 89-66 victory over the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night.

Erin Thorn had 17 points, Seimone Augustus added 16 points and four assists, and Lindsay Whalen scored 13 points for defending champion Minnesota (27-6). The Lynx, who have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, open the playoffs at home against Seattle next Friday.

DeWanna Bonner scored 17 points for Phoenix (7-26), which matched the franchise record for losses in a season, set in 2003. The Mercury finish the season Sunday against the Storm.

The Lynx played their starters into the third quarter, extending their lead to 33 after leading 51-34 at the break.

Minnesota swept the four-game season series with Phoenix this season after beating the Mercury 2-0 in the West finals a year ago. Thorn shot 5 for 8 on 3-pointers for the Lynx.

The last-place Mercury, with three of its regulars back from injury, stayed with Minnesota for more than a quarter until the Lynx scored 13 straight points, keyed by Thorn's back-to-back-to-back 3s midway through the second period, that gave Minnesota a 37-25 lead with 5:18 left in the first half.

Candice Dupree, who missed 21 games this season after knee surgery, had eight points and seven rebounds in 18 minutes for Phoenix, which had reached the Western Conference finals the last three seasons.

Sammy Prahalis, who missed six games with an injured shoulder, had 14 points and eight assists for the Mercury, who have lost six straight.

Olympian Diana Taurasi, who has missed 23 games this season, much of it with a hip flexor, did not play.

• Lynx: --
• Mercury: --

• Lynx: --
• Mercury: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: US Airways Center, Phoenix, AZ
• Officials: #42 Roy Gulbeyan, #44 Felicia Grinter, #49 Kevin Sparrock
• Attendance: 7217
• Duration: 1:48