Fever-Lynx Preview

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Oct 13 2012 4:51PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) For years, the Minnesota Lynx were irrelevant in the WNBA, a listless franchise that couldn't figure out a way to even make the playoffs let alone contend for a title.

Now they're looking for two straight championships.

The Lynx host the Indiana Fever in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday, hoping to become the first repeat winners since the Los Angeles Sparks in 2001-02.

It's been a startling climb for a team that made the playoffs just twice in its first 12 years. But starting with the hire of coach Cheryl Reeve and the trade for hometown star Lindsay Whalen in 2010 and going right on through with the acquisitions of Rebekkah Brunson and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and drafting Maya Moore, the Lynx are suddenly the class of the league.

``When I was hired I knew we had a group here that there would be a window of opportunity,'' Reeve said. ``Once we made the trade for Whalen and we got Rebekkah Brunson in here, we knew we had a foundation. We added to that Maya Moore and Taj, so now there's that window of opportunity. It's just a great time to be a part of it.''

The group that also includes dynamic forward Seimone Augustus steamrolled through the playoffs last season. But the Lynx have found that defending that crown has been an entirely different experience.

The Seattle Storm pushed the Lynx to the limit in the Western Conference quarterfinals, missing a shot in the closing moments of Game 3 that would have eliminated them. The Lynx then had to rally in the fourth quarter to beat the Sparks in Game 2 to complete a sweep of Los Angeles to get back to the finals.

``Definitely tougher. You start off the season with a target on your back,'' Augustus said. ``I feel like this season we've gotten everybody's best game, from the last-place team in the league all the way up to the second- or third-place team in the league.''

Nothing figures to change now. The Fever have shown resilience throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs to reach the finals for the second time.

They were down 1-0 in each of the first two rounds before rallying, including a 16-point win at Connecticut in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals despite losing star scorer Katie Douglas early in the game to a left ankle injury. It is uncertain if Douglas, who scored 51 points in the first two games of the series, will be able to play on Sunday night.

``We're not afraid of anybody,'' Fever forward Eriana Larkins said. ``I think we play better with our backs against the wall.''

They've shown that so far. They faced elimination four times in these playoffs. Their 3-point shooting - the Fever hit 10 against the Sun in Game 3 - means they're never out of a game. And the swagger that comes with playoff success is evident.

``If we play like we did (in Game 3),'' Erin Phillips said, ``absolutely we can beat them.''

The Lynx had all of last week off, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Whalen is nursing a bone bruise on her left wrist and an injured finger on her left hand. Having two days off at the beginning of the week proved valuable.

``Nothing's come to us easy,'' Brunson said. ``We've had to grind out a lot games where I think we caught a couple teams by surprise last year. We were new. We were up and coming.

``But now everyone knows what we're doing, knows what to anticipate, knows what to look for. So they are giving us their best games. But we're here. We made it and that's the important part. We persevered through everything that anybody threw at us this season.''

Tamika Catchings and the Fever will throw a little more. The Fever lost to the Lynx in both meetings this season, but by just two at home on Sept. 14 and seven on the road three days later.

``They are the defending champs,'' Catchings said. ``We lost to them twice this year, but I think in the games that we lost we played really well for about 20 to 25 minutes and we let the game slip away from us for about the last 15 minutes. On this team, we have to focus on playing 40-minute games.''

Given the difficulties this season, a title this time might prove more rewarding.

``Once you win one, it's really hard to come back and win another one, especially back-to-back,'' Brunson said. ``The road is hard, but it would be extremely satisfying if we can go ahead and conquer this.''

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Fever stun Lynx in Game 1, 76-70

By JON KRAWCZYNSKI
Posted Oct 14 2012 11:20PM

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Lynx entered the WNBA Finals with a banner already hanging in Target Center and a loaded roster that had visions of becoming the league's next dynasty.

The Indiana Fever haven't backed down from a fight all postseason, and it's clear they don't plan to start now.

Erlana Larkins had 16 points and 15 rebounds and the Fever stunned defending champion Minnesota with a 76-70 victory over the Lynx in Game 1 on Sunday night.

``We've made it to this point, what's there to fear?'' Larkins said. ``We know they're the defending champions and they're going to bring their `A' game. ... So what, they're the defending champs? We're here to take one.''

That's exactly what the Fever did - they took it.

Tamika Catchings scored 20 points for the Fever, who played without leading scorer Katie Douglas because of a sprained left ankle. They scored 15 points off of 17 Minnesota turnovers and outscored the Lynx 38-24 in the paint to become just the second visiting team this season to win at Target Center.

``We came in here without any fear,'' coach Lin Dunn said.

Briann January added 11 points and six assists and Erin Phillips scored 13 for Indiana.

Game 2 in the best-of-five series is Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

Seimone Augustus scored 23 points and Rebekkah Brunson added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lynx, who are looking to become the WNBA's first repeat champion in 10 years.

Maya Moore had 14 points and 10 boards but made just 4 of 14 shots and Lindsay Whalen managed 12 points on 4-for-12 shooting. Now they've lost homecourt and trail in a series for the first time since their title run started last year.

``For some reason we didn't come out ready to play and they were,'' Augustus said.

Indiana led by 10 in the second quarter and withstood a furious opening to the second half by the Lynx. Minnesota looked to be taking control with an 8-0 run midway through the third that gave them a 54-50 lead and put the Fever on their heels.

But it takes more than a few jumpers in a row to shake this resilient Fever.

Indiana pulled it off without Douglas, who severely sprained her left ankle early in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals in Connecticut and didn't make the trip. There is some question whether Douglas will be available at all in this series.

Losing a leading scorer normally would mean curtains for a title run, but the Fever have already shown they can overcome problems like this. They trailed each of the first two series 1-0 before rallying to win the last two games as they chase after their first title. The Fever even played their best game of the postseason after Douglas went down with the ankle injury five minutes into the game against the Sun, burying Connecticut with a barrage of 3-pointers to cruise to a 16-point victory.

They were just as strong in the finals opener early, using superior ball movement to find wide open shots on the perimeter and cutters to the basket for easy layups. Indiana opened up a 10-point lead in the second quarter and some hard-nosed play had the Lynx flustered.

Catchings leveled guard Monica Wright with a screen and Augustus picked up a technical foul after Wright was called for a foul on the play.

``We are not here to just be in the finals,'' Catchings said. ``We are here for a great opportunity, and both teams, we both want it bad. So every game is going to be just like this game. It's going to be tough, it's going to be hard-nosed.''

Just the way Larkins likes it.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound center bullied her way around the paint all night, out-muscling the Lynx frontcourt for position and keeping possessions alive grit and hustle. Her putback with 3:20 to play gave the Fever a 72-62 lead, and now the Fever have the view from the driver's seat for the first time this postseason as they go for their first title.

``She is exactly the type of player we've been looking for, what I call a warrior,'' Dunn said. ``She does all the dirty work.''

Attendance figures have been down league-wide this season, a troubling sign for a league that has been fighting to gain traction in the United States almost since its inception. The lower bowl was jammed at Target Center for Game 1, with a spirited crowd announced at 14,322 waving white pom poms.

They didn't have much to cheer about in the fourth quarter, when the top offensive team in the league missed 12 straight shots at one point to squander any chance at a comeback.

``They only played seven players. They came off a three-game series,'' Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. ``They have been traveling. You know, they are exactly what we thought they would be, and probably then some.''

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• Fever: --
• Lynx: --

• Fever: --
• Lynx: Augustus

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 5

• Arena: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
• Officials: #4 Sue Blauch, #18 Kurt Walker, #45 Tom Mauer
• Attendance: 14322
• Duration: 2:02