Storm-Lynx Preview

By ALAN FERGUSON
Posted Sep 27 2012 2:12PM

The Minnesota Lynx handled Seattle in all but one of their matchups this season, but the Storm's three-time WNBA MVP didn't play in any of those games.

With Lauren Jackson back, the Lynx could face a stiffer challenge as they begin their quest for back-to-back league championships Friday night.

Minnesota took three of four meetings with Seattle and beat the Storm twice by a combined 37 points during their league-record 10-0 start.

That run ended with a 65-62 road loss to the Storm on June 17, but the Lynx won 86-73 at Seattle on Aug. 21.

Minnesota (27-7) tied the team record for victories it set last year and finished one shy of matching the league mark for most in a season. The Lynx went 16-1 at home.

Seattle won 28 games en route to the 2010 league title but went 16-18 this season, posting its fewest victories since a 10-22 effort in 2001 - its second year as a franchise.

The struggles were likely due in part to Jackson's absence until Aug. 23, as she played for the Australian Olympic team and ended up appearing in only nine games. She also missed three contests with a strained hamstring.

While Seattle ended the season on a three-game win streak, Jackson rarely showed her superstar form in her return. She averaged 10.2 points - 8.7 below her career mark - as the Storm went 5-4 with her in the lineup.

"The good thing is that we know Lauren. Even if she wasn't here, for us post players, we aren't doing anything different," Lynx center Taj McWilliams-Franklin told the team's official website. "The defense against Lauren will be the same that we played against Tina (Thompson), (Ann) Wauters, (Camille) Little, they have such a dynamic post presence. You can't make specific changes based on one person, because then you have four other posts to deal with."

The Lynx led the league with 86.0 points per game and had four players average in double figures, led by Seimone Augustus (16.6 ppg) and Maya Moore (16.4). Moore also averaged 6.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.5 steals.

"They're an outstanding team," Storm point guard Sue Bird said. "You don't find many weaknesses in their game, and for us we just have to try and stick to our game plan and execute it as best as we can so that we can give ourselves a chance."

Bird, Jackson and Camille Little will have to step up their games for Seattle to pull the upset. Bird averaged a team-leading 12.2 points on the season but totaled 38 in the last two games against Minnesota.

Seattle was second to last in the league with 71.2 points a game.

The Lynx and Storm are meeting in the playoffs for the first time since the 2004 Western Conference semifinals. Seattle swept that matchup en route to the first of its two league titles and Jackson was the team's top scorer in both series.

Minnesota is looking to become the first team since Los Angeles in 2001 and '02 to repeat as champion.

Game 2 will be Sunday at Seattle.

Whalen scores 20 to lead Lynx past Storm 78-70

Posted Sep 29 2012 1:00AM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) With Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore around, Lindsay Whalen's focus generally isn't on scoring. That doesn't mean she can't.

Whalen scored 20 points to lead the defending champion Minnesota Lynx in a 78-70 victory over the Seattle Storm in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals Friday night.

``Of course we know they're going to pay a lot of attention to Seimone and Maya, they're great shooters and great players,'' Whalen said. ``We all know we have to step it up and make plays as well.''

Augustus scored 19 points, Moore added 16 and Rebekkah Brunson had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota. Whalen also tallied six assists and four rebounds.

The Lynx shot 46 percent against a Storm team that held opponents to a league-low 39 percent this season, and hit 22 of 28 free throws - including 8 for 10 from Whalen.

``They have multiple weapons out there,'' Seattle coach Brian Agler said. ``If you give too much attention to any one person, someone else will take advantage of it. Tonight, (Whalen) took advantage.''

Rookie reserve Shekinna Stricklen scored 13 points to lead the Storm. Katie Smith and Lauren Jackson added 12 points each, with all of but one of Jackson's coming in the first half.

Game 2 is Sunday at Seattle.

Jackson, a three-time WNBA MVP, didn't play in any of the teams' four regular-season games as she was training with the Australian national team for the London Olympics. The Lynx won three of those matchups.

Jackson played a season-high 27 minutes, but it wasn't enough as Seattle shot just 39.7 percent from the floor and never led. Minnesota improved to 18-0 when holding opponents below 40 percent this season.

``I didn't get the looks I was getting in the first half,'' Jackson said. ``They changed their defense up. We definitely have to look at how we're going to combat that next game.''

The Lynx, who went 16-1 at home in the regular season, turned the ball over nine times in the first 20 minutes and led just 33-27 despite Seattle's 29-percent shooting from the floor in the first half.

But Augustus and Whalen scored six points each and Brunson added three more as Minnesota opened the third quarter on a 15-8 run, and extended the lead to a game-high 17 on Candice Wiggins' 3-pointer with 2:38 left in period.

Seattle then answered with an 11-3 run to close the quarter, and responded again with a 9-2 run over a nearly 5-minute stretch when the Lynx jumped back ahead by 13 on Moore's runner with 6:38 to play. But six points was as close as the Storm would get, as Moore and Augustus hit clutch shots in the final two minutes and Minnesota made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 32 seconds to seal the victory.

``I thought we got decent shots, we were playing well, just all of a sudden . we're not scoring and not getting back on defense,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``We have to have that focus when we don't score, they don't score. That's what let them back in it, a string of missed shots and then they made the barrage of 3s.''

The Lynx and Storm are matchup up in the postseason for the first time since the 2004 Western Conference semifinals, which Seattle swept en route to the first of its two league titles.

Minnesota is trying to become the first back-to-back champion since Los Angeles accomplished the feat in the 2001 and `02 seasons. The Houston Comets won the league's first four titles from 1997-2000.

• Storm: --
• Lynx: --

• Storm: --
• Lynx: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #8 Daryl Humphrey, #49 Kevin Sparrock
• Attendance: 9213
• Duration: 2:10