By Menzie Henderson
Lynx Writer
Scouting Report - Minnesota Lynx (7-15) @ Phoenix Mercury (10-13) 9:00 PM
WHERE TO WATCH: WNBA LIVE ACCESS
WHERE TO LISTEN: BOB 106.1 FM
Not even a week after completing a historic, record-breaking performance in their last meeting, the Minnesota Lynx and the Phoenix Mercury will battle again tonight at US Airways Center in Phoenix.
Phoenix defeated Minnesota 127-124 in double-overtime on July 24 at Target Center, setting the WNBA record for the highest scoring game in history.
The pivotal matchup tonight between Western Conference contenders, will mark the fourth and final time the Lynx and Mercury will meet in the regular season. The two squads have given fans three great games, including what one could call the game of the year last Saturday. Phoenix is currently leading the season series 2-1, but the Lynx will look for a bounce back victory to even things up.
Minnesota (7-15) needs a win and needs it now. The Lynx have now lost four straight, all coming at Target Center. In their last contest, the Lynx saw yet another double-digit lead slip away, as they let Tina Thompson and the Los Angeles Sparks come away with the victory 71-58. The Lynx leading scorer, Seimone Augustus, provided Minnesota with just six points on 2-of-13 shooting in the loss. Tonight, Augustus should find a way to get back to her offensive strengths, especially considering she scored a season-high 36 points in the last matchup against Phoenix.
After winning three straight, the Mercury (10-13) fell to the league-leading Seattle Storm 91-85 on Tuesday. Phoenix led by as many as 18 at halftime, but the Mercury were unable to sustain the lead and Seattle’s Lauren Jackson who scored a game-high 33 points.
As the playoff race heats up, the Mercury still remains comfortably in second place of the standings. On the other hand, the Lynx, have dropped out of playoff contention to the fifth slot, after losing three crucial Western Conference matchups in a row. With a win tonight, the Lynx could move back into the playoff picture as they remain just percentage points behind Los Angeles for the fourth and final spot.
“When we go to Phoenix we will try to regroup, that’s all we can do,” Lindsay Whalen said. “This is our stretch-run. We have 12 games left, so you know we will just have to win some games and stick together and keep playing hard, keep being aggressive and that’s all you can do. Regroup and try to get the next one.”
3 Keys To A Lynx Victory:
--Win the battle of the boards
--Offensive Execution
--Transition Defense
Matchup To Watch:
Seimone Augustus vs Candice Dupree
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