HEAD-TO-HEAD 15-11 RECORD 15-12 W-1 STREAK L-1 3-2 LAST 5 3-2 71.1 PF 69.3 65.8 PA 68.1 31.6 RPG 31.4

Storm (15-11) vs. Lynx (15-12)
Friday, August 8, 7:00 p.m.
KeyArena
Radio: KJR AM 950
Giveaway: Anne Donovan Bobblehead courtesy of Starbucks
Buy Tickets: Click here

There’s something big in KeyArena tonight, and it’s not just the foot-high Anne Donovan Bobbleheads that will be given away pregame. No, this is perhaps the biggest game of the season to date for both teams as they fight it out for playoff positioning. The Lynx and the Storm are in a three-way battle with the Sacramento Monarchs for two playoff spots. The three teams are separated by just one game, with the Storm taking the lead by a half game by virtue of beating the Los Angeles Sparks and seeing Minnesota upset by Phoenix on Wednesday night. The Lynx’s advantage down the stretch is that it holds the tiebreaker on the Storm, having won all three meetings between the teams so far this season. Tonight, Minnesota goes for what rather literally could be called an unprecedented sweep. While the Storm has been swept before, this is the first year that Western Conference teams play each other four times. The Storm has never lost to an opponent four times in a season before and has beaten every West team save Minnesota (and every East team but Detroit, despite playing them only once or twice). If the Lynx emerge victorious, the team’s lead on the Storm would really be a game and a half, as the Storm has to finish a game ahead to beat out Minnesota. With just seven games left in the season after tonight, this game is as close to a must-win as possible at this point in the season. The Lynx was the last team to hang a loss on the Storm at the Key, picking up a 77-72 victory. Since then, the Storm has won its last seven games in Seattle and has established a dominant home-court advantage. The Lynx, meanwhile, has struggled on the road, most recently against the lowly Mercury, and is just 4-8 away from the Target Center with five road games and just two home ones left this season.

Burse is one of the WNBA’s top per-minute shot blockers. David Sherman/WNBAE/Getty

As throughout its history, the Lynx is led by All-Star shooting guard Katie Smith. Smith is not scoring as frequently as she did in 2001, when she set the all-time WNBA record by averaging 23.1 points per game, but she has gone for quality over quantity (more appropriately quality and quantity) this season. Until a recent slump dropped her field-goal percentage, Smith was ranked in the WNBA’s top ten in all three key percentages (field goal, three point, and free throw), a remarkable feat. Smith’s season has put her in position to repeat her All-WNBA first-team accolades from 2001, and she is one of the top candidates for MVP. With Smith slumping recently, averaging just 10.0 points in her last four games, the Lynx has benefited immensely from the surprising play of center Janell Burse. Burse had started just two games in her career as of the All-Star break, but replaced injured Svetlana Abrosimova and Michele Van Gorp in the starting lineup last month. Out of nowhere, Burse has become the inside force the Lynx – who previously started no player over 6-2 – lacked. As a starter, Burse has put up All-Star caliber numbers – 13.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while shooting 55.2% from the field. Burse’s emergence has also strengthened the Minnesota bench, which now features versatile young forward Abrosimova as well as Australian point guard Kristi Harrower and 6-6 center Van Gorp.

The Storm comes into tonight’s game with momentum after crushing the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Sparks in the Key on Wednesday, handing them their worst-ever loss by a 92-56 final. It was a continuation of Storm forward Lauren Jackson’s dominant play. She has scored 20 points or more in eight of her last nine games, missing only against Minnesota, and has five straight double-doubles. In her last two home games, Jackson has set career highs in points and rebounds, leading one to wonder what she has in store tonight. Nine blocks? The Storm will need more than just Jackson to beat the Lynx, as was demonstrated Aug. 20 in Minnesota when she scored a then-career-high 30 points in a Storm loss and re-confirmed Wednesday when Jackson had 22 points in the first half, but the Storm led the Sparks by just three points. Point guard Sue Bird posted her seventh double-double of the season against Los Angeles, while center Kamila Vodichkova came on down the stretch playing against much smaller defenders. The question mark for the Storm is shooting guard Sandy Brondello, who had 14 points against the Lynx last Saturday but has scored just two points combined in her last two home games.

TEAM LEADERS JACKSON SMITH Jackson 21.4 PPG Smith 18.8 Jackson 8.4 RPG Williams 6.0 Bird 6.8 APG Edwards 4.6 Bird 1.5 SPG Abrosimova 1.5 Jackson 1.7 BPG Burse 1.0 Bird 32.8 MPG Smith 34.9

The Storm is just 4-10 in games played on weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). From Monday-Thursday, it is 11-1.

Big players make big shots, and they don’t come much bigger than Smith’s baseline runner as time expired on Saturday against the Storm. Smith’s jumper rattled twice and fell to give the Lynx a 73-71 victory, a tie with the Storm in the playoff race in the West, and ownership of the tiebreaker with them. The Storm looked to have a good chance to force overtime when Bird scored with 2.6 seconds left and tie the game before Smith’s shot, but had no such luck in a game that had been back-and-forth in the second half, with neither team leading by more than four. In the first half, the Storm had a tough time scoring but still kept the game close, trailing by just two at halftime. Seattle found its offense, scoring 44 points in the second half, but was unable to keep Minnesota from answering most of its scores – with the last answer the decisive one. Bird finished with a team-high 17 points, while Jackson had her streak of seven straight games of 20 or more points halted when she ended up with just 16. She did net a double-double, pulling down a team-high 12 boards. Burse bettered Jackson with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Janell Burse vs. Lauren Jackson - Storm Coach Anne Donovan was very unhappy with the way her team defended Burse in the post last Saturday. “Janell Burse obviously has earned the respect of most players in this league,” she said after the game. “We didn't come in ready to guard her tonight. She and (power forward Tamika) Williams both tore our posts up, basically.” As a result, the Storm has worked on its post offense and defense in practice recently. Jackson benefited from the practice, making all 17 of her field-goal attempts inside the lane against the Sparks. She is always difficult to defend, but Burse did as well as anyone has recently in Minnesota. Burse presents a problem defensively for both Jackson and Vodichkova, but if they can keep her from establishing post position and getting good looks, Minnesota will be forced to initiate its offense from the perimeter.

Storm - Forwards Adia Barnes (torn ACL) and Danielle McCulley (tendinitis, right shoulder) are on the injured list.

Minnesota - None.