BY MIKE PEDEN
The Minnesota Lynx added a few more firsts in their 2011 campaign against the Los Angeles Sparks Saturday night at Target Center.
Minnesota's 87-68 win gave them the privilege of being the first WNBA team to reach 20 wins this season and, more importantly, the first team to clinch a playoff spot.
"It couldn't get no worse than where we were at," said Lynx guard Seimone Augustus, referring to the franchise's struggles in her first five seasons. "A weight lifted off our shoulders."
Not that the Lynx felt weighed down leading up to a playoff berth. Clinching a spot has simply been a step all season in the team's ultimate goal of leaving their past behind and winning a WNBA title.
"We have that fire inside of us and we still got some work to do," Augustus said.
The Sparks (10-15) were the more energetic team in the first quarter, taking a 20-14 lead with Candace Parker racking up 10 points in the period.
The Lynx (20-6) communicated to their fans that they had control in the second, starting the quarter with three treys, ultimately taking the lead for good at 23-22 following a Maya Moore 21-foot three-pointer. Minnesota outscored Los Angeles 32-14 in the second and never let up on their way to their fourth straight win over Los Angeles after losing eight in a row.
"Yesterday, I came in the gym and shot 500 mid-range and 500 three-pointers," said Lynx guard Candice Wiggins. "You come in the game and just concentrate and that's going to help."
Augustus led Minnesota with 17 points, with Wiggins chipping in 13. Parker scored a game-high 18 points, although a more stingy Lynx defense would frustrate Parker after the first.
For good measure, the Lynx out-rebounded the Sparks 43-24 for the game.
While the magic number to reach the playoffs is now zero, the Lynx are seeking the magic number they wanted from the start of the season: home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Minnesota is two games ahead of Indiana for the league's best record with eight games remaining for both teams. A combination of seven Lynx wins or Fever losses would cement home-court through the Finals.
"That's when you'll see the locker room excited. To go from second-worst to first, that's when we will celebrate for a short moment," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "Then you're measured by what you do in the playoffs."
Perhaps the biggest "magic number" of all is Minnesota's win total. In all but one of the WNBA's first 14 seasons, every championship team recorded at least 20 victories in the regular season. The Houston Comets were the only exception finishing 18-10 in 1997 before winning the first of four straight titles.
Maya Moore, who scored seven points in only 16:22 of playing time, may have acknowledged her battle to find consistency with her belief that Minnesota can go far beyond 20 wins.
"That's the scary part. We're continuing to sharpen up on help-side defense, continuing to communicate, making sure we're forcing players to do things they don't want to do," she said.
ALSO
Watch below for special guest interviewer Lisl Von Steinbergs chat with Rebekkah Brunson on the development of Minnesota's young post player tandem of Jessica Adair and Amber Harris.
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Sparks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Los Angeles Sparks. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Turnovers short Sparks against Lynx
BY MIKE PEDEN
The Minnesota Lynx demonstrated their depth to the fullest Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center.
Rookie forward Maya Moore struggled, making just two of 11 shots, while forward Rebekkah Brunson was ejected midway through the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls for comments made to officials. However, Minnesota cruised to an 85-72 win by scoring 35 points off 25 turnovers committed by Los Angeles. In contrast, the Lynx gave up only 15 points on 15 turnovers.
Helping the Lynx (11-4) capitalize on turnovers was guard Seimone Augustus, who scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and guard Lindsay Whalen with 16 points and seven assists. Whalen missed only one of her nine field goal attempts for the game.
"We just clicked immediately," Augustus said. "We had people in the passing lanes, getting deflections, the help side was there."
The Sparks (6-9) did feature the game's two top scorers, as guard Kristi Toliver scored a game-high 28 points while center Ebony Hoffman's 10-of-11 accuracy led to 24 points. Unfortunately, the rest of the team scored just 20, with goose eggs from starters Delisha Milton-Jones and Noelle Quinn.
"This is the second game where we started slowly. The problem is the first quarter where we dug ourselves a hole," said Sparks head coach Joe Bryant.
Los Angeles committed nine turnovers in the first quarter, with Minnesota coughing the ball up once.
Any doubts of Minnesota's closing abilities following the All-Star break were likely squashed on a key third quarter run. Los Angeles cut a 13-point halftime deficit to four, getting as close as 47-43 with 6:52 in the third. The Lynx's Taj McWilliams-Franklin then found Lindsay Whalen for a back-door lay-up, initiating a 17-2 run and signaling a potential end to the dominance the Sparks have held over the Lynx in recent years.
"They caught us off our heels. We just didn't value the ball." Hoffman said.
Minnesota's victory gave them a one-game lead over San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference and the league's best record. Adding to their aura is Augustus closing in on a milestone. After Tuesday night's game, if Augustus scores at least 103 points in the next five games, she would be the fastest to score 3,000 career points in WNBA history despite missing 37 games in the last two seasons to injury.
Currently, the record belongs to Cynthia Cooper. In previous circumstances, such buzz would direct all media attention to the 2006 first overall draft pick. However, with Augustus among four Minnesota All-Stars this year, she no longer carries the team's emotional weight on her own.
"I just sit back, relax and do what I do best: play ball," she said.
Accolades have been afterthoughts all season, as Augustus was not the least bit slighted over not being named to the WNBA's top 15 players of all time as part of their 15th season celebration. Fellow 2006 entrant Cappie Pondexter did get the nod, likely boosted with her two WNBA titles while in Phoenix.
"That's what separates those 15 players from me and the rest of the ladies that weren't up there," she said. "I want to get five championships and then I'll be at the top."
ALSO
After completing pregame interviews, this writer received a request from several youth basketball players from Watertown-Mayer to autograph their game-day programs. The passion and joy from younger players seeing their big-league role models is indisputable. Critics still chastising the league for low attendance or interest should visit the tunnel before games to see the youth demographic line up for their brush with fame, complete with game-day programs signed by this writer.
Click play below to listen to Sparks guard Ticha Penicheiro, who talks about how her WNBA contributions highlight her home country of Portugal as more than just a soccer nation.
The Minnesota Lynx demonstrated their depth to the fullest Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center.
Rookie forward Maya Moore struggled, making just two of 11 shots, while forward Rebekkah Brunson was ejected midway through the fourth quarter after receiving two technical fouls for comments made to officials. However, Minnesota cruised to an 85-72 win by scoring 35 points off 25 turnovers committed by Los Angeles. In contrast, the Lynx gave up only 15 points on 15 turnovers.
Helping the Lynx (11-4) capitalize on turnovers was guard Seimone Augustus, who scored 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, and guard Lindsay Whalen with 16 points and seven assists. Whalen missed only one of her nine field goal attempts for the game.
"We just clicked immediately," Augustus said. "We had people in the passing lanes, getting deflections, the help side was there."
The Sparks (6-9) did feature the game's two top scorers, as guard Kristi Toliver scored a game-high 28 points while center Ebony Hoffman's 10-of-11 accuracy led to 24 points. Unfortunately, the rest of the team scored just 20, with goose eggs from starters Delisha Milton-Jones and Noelle Quinn.
"This is the second game where we started slowly. The problem is the first quarter where we dug ourselves a hole," said Sparks head coach Joe Bryant.
Los Angeles committed nine turnovers in the first quarter, with Minnesota coughing the ball up once.
Any doubts of Minnesota's closing abilities following the All-Star break were likely squashed on a key third quarter run. Los Angeles cut a 13-point halftime deficit to four, getting as close as 47-43 with 6:52 in the third. The Lynx's Taj McWilliams-Franklin then found Lindsay Whalen for a back-door lay-up, initiating a 17-2 run and signaling a potential end to the dominance the Sparks have held over the Lynx in recent years.
"They caught us off our heels. We just didn't value the ball." Hoffman said.
Minnesota's victory gave them a one-game lead over San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference and the league's best record. Adding to their aura is Augustus closing in on a milestone. After Tuesday night's game, if Augustus scores at least 103 points in the next five games, she would be the fastest to score 3,000 career points in WNBA history despite missing 37 games in the last two seasons to injury.
Currently, the record belongs to Cynthia Cooper. In previous circumstances, such buzz would direct all media attention to the 2006 first overall draft pick. However, with Augustus among four Minnesota All-Stars this year, she no longer carries the team's emotional weight on her own.
"I just sit back, relax and do what I do best: play ball," she said.
Accolades have been afterthoughts all season, as Augustus was not the least bit slighted over not being named to the WNBA's top 15 players of all time as part of their 15th season celebration. Fellow 2006 entrant Cappie Pondexter did get the nod, likely boosted with her two WNBA titles while in Phoenix.
"That's what separates those 15 players from me and the rest of the ladies that weren't up there," she said. "I want to get five championships and then I'll be at the top."
ALSO
After completing pregame interviews, this writer received a request from several youth basketball players from Watertown-Mayer to autograph their game-day programs. The passion and joy from younger players seeing their big-league role models is indisputable. Critics still chastising the league for low attendance or interest should visit the tunnel before games to see the youth demographic line up for their brush with fame, complete with game-day programs signed by this writer.
Click play below to listen to Sparks guard Ticha Penicheiro, who talks about how her WNBA contributions highlight her home country of Portugal as more than just a soccer nation.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Lynx stomp jolt out of Sparks
BY MIKE PEDEN
While the term "must-win" is generally not used in early season games, the Minnesota Lynx faced that scenario against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday at Target Center.
A win would mean a weekend split and a serenade to the 10,123 fans in attendance for the Lynx's home opener. A loss would put them at 0-2 and start to raise concerns about team chemistry and capability.
The Lynx delivered big-time with an 86-69 win, snapping their eight-game losing streak against the Sparks while giving Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom her first loss against the team she helmed at the start of her head coaching career.
Seimone Augustus, who scored a game high 17 points, was eager for payback following Friday's 82-74 loss at Staples Center.
"I didn't even sleep, I didn't eat," she said. "Today was a start. We did a solid job running the offense and getting the ball where we needed to."
Augustus was one of six Lynx (1-1) players to finish in double-figures for scoring. Others included Rebekkah Brunson, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
"We didn't fall apart or doubt ourselves," she said.
Rookie guard Maya Moore added 16, with 14 in the second half. Although she struggled to find the basket in the first half, she brought Lynx fans to their feet by blocking a three-point shot from Tina Thompson.
Her second highlight came with 6:21 remaining in fourth quarter, when she pump-faked Candace Parker and drained a mid-range jumper.
"(She is) a really tough match-up. Our posts did a good job of trying to make it tough on her," Moore said.
Although Moore has been the face of Minnesota's marketing campaign, she quickly praised the team's unselfishness on the court.
"We all really care about making sure we work well together. That's why this game is so fun," she said.
Good ball control and rebounding meant the Lynx never flirted with disaster after building a lead as large as 23. Minnesota recorded 17 assists and committed 12 turnovers to Los Angeles' 16 and 17, respectively. The Lynx scooped 44 rebounds, with 15 on offense. The Sparks (1-1) finished with just 28 rebounds and five offensive boards.
Los Angeles lost their rhythm in the second half, with Minnesota outscoring them 24-10 in the third quarter. Their leading scorer was Kristi Toliver, who scored 13 points despite playing 10:35 for the game. Parker and Thompson added 11.
The Sparks' fortune could be murky in the short-term, as 14-year veteran Ticha Penicheiro left the game in the third with an ankle injury. An MRI is scheduled Monday.
Minnesota hosts Tulsa on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Although the Shock struggled in their season opener Saturday against the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Shock beat the Lynx twice last season and could return to play the spoiler role.
"We have to keep that mindset of people trying to take it away from us," Moore said.
"We're starting to settle in our offense, settle in our defense. The future's bright," Augustus said.
ALSO
Mike Peden gets a few words with Los Angeles Sparks veteran DeLisha Milton-Jones, who reflects on the WNBA's history as the league enters its 15th season. Click play to listen.
While the term "must-win" is generally not used in early season games, the Minnesota Lynx faced that scenario against the Los Angeles Sparks Sunday at Target Center.
A win would mean a weekend split and a serenade to the 10,123 fans in attendance for the Lynx's home opener. A loss would put them at 0-2 and start to raise concerns about team chemistry and capability.
The Lynx delivered big-time with an 86-69 win, snapping their eight-game losing streak against the Sparks while giving Sparks head coach Jennifer Gillom her first loss against the team she helmed at the start of her head coaching career.
Seimone Augustus, who scored a game high 17 points, was eager for payback following Friday's 82-74 loss at Staples Center.
"I didn't even sleep, I didn't eat," she said. "Today was a start. We did a solid job running the offense and getting the ball where we needed to."
Augustus was one of six Lynx (1-1) players to finish in double-figures for scoring. Others included Rebekkah Brunson, who recorded her second double-double of the season with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
"We didn't fall apart or doubt ourselves," she said.
Rookie guard Maya Moore added 16, with 14 in the second half. Although she struggled to find the basket in the first half, she brought Lynx fans to their feet by blocking a three-point shot from Tina Thompson.
Her second highlight came with 6:21 remaining in fourth quarter, when she pump-faked Candace Parker and drained a mid-range jumper.
"(She is) a really tough match-up. Our posts did a good job of trying to make it tough on her," Moore said.
Although Moore has been the face of Minnesota's marketing campaign, she quickly praised the team's unselfishness on the court.
"We all really care about making sure we work well together. That's why this game is so fun," she said.
Good ball control and rebounding meant the Lynx never flirted with disaster after building a lead as large as 23. Minnesota recorded 17 assists and committed 12 turnovers to Los Angeles' 16 and 17, respectively. The Lynx scooped 44 rebounds, with 15 on offense. The Sparks (1-1) finished with just 28 rebounds and five offensive boards.
Los Angeles lost their rhythm in the second half, with Minnesota outscoring them 24-10 in the third quarter. Their leading scorer was Kristi Toliver, who scored 13 points despite playing 10:35 for the game. Parker and Thompson added 11.
The Sparks' fortune could be murky in the short-term, as 14-year veteran Ticha Penicheiro left the game in the third with an ankle injury. An MRI is scheduled Monday.
Minnesota hosts Tulsa on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. Although the Shock struggled in their season opener Saturday against the San Antonio Silver Stars, the Shock beat the Lynx twice last season and could return to play the spoiler role.
"We have to keep that mindset of people trying to take it away from us," Moore said.
"We're starting to settle in our offense, settle in our defense. The future's bright," Augustus said.
ALSO
Mike Peden gets a few words with Los Angeles Sparks veteran DeLisha Milton-Jones, who reflects on the WNBA's history as the league enters its 15th season. Click play to listen.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Sparks short Lynx for eighth consecutive time
BY MIKE PEDEN
Despite all the hype that surrounded the Minnesota Lynx following the WNBA Draft, when they selected Maya Moore with the first overall pick, the Lynx learned Friday night that their roster is still vulnerable.
Opening the season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks at Staples Center, the Lynx squandered a 10-point lead in the third quarter, losing 82-74.
Going back to last season, the Lynx (0-1) have lost 10 games after leading by 10 points or more. Minnesota also continued its losing streak against Los Angeles (1-0), now losing their last eight games, with Los Angeles head coach Jennifer Gillom winning five against the team she commandeered when her head coaching career began in 2009.
Candace Parker had a sensational return for the Sparks after missing most of last season with a dislocated shoulder. Parker finished with a double-double, getting 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a driving lay-up with 1:09 left in the game that ultimately clinched a Sparks win. Tina Thompson added 15 points.
The Lynx had a 50-40 lead with 6:43 the third quarter following a Moore three-pointer, but the Sparks found their stroke behind the arc 16 seconds later.
Sparks guard Kristi Toliver ignited the perimeter offense before Noelle Quinn and rookie Jenna O'Hea assumed control, sinking six combined three-pointers in the second half. The Sparks led 59-57 to end the third quarter and did not trail after that, out-shooting the Lynx 47 percent to 41 percent for the game.
However, Moore's professional debut was perhaps the biggest story of the night as the WNBA began its 15th season. She scored 21 points on 7-of-17 from the floor, including four three-pointers, silencing any questions on her integration following two shaky preseason games against Indiana.
Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson started the season with a double-double after posting a career-high 12 a year ago, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The two teams meet again on Sunday when the Lynx host their home opener at Target Center.
Despite all the hype that surrounded the Minnesota Lynx following the WNBA Draft, when they selected Maya Moore with the first overall pick, the Lynx learned Friday night that their roster is still vulnerable.
Opening the season on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks at Staples Center, the Lynx squandered a 10-point lead in the third quarter, losing 82-74.
Going back to last season, the Lynx (0-1) have lost 10 games after leading by 10 points or more. Minnesota also continued its losing streak against Los Angeles (1-0), now losing their last eight games, with Los Angeles head coach Jennifer Gillom winning five against the team she commandeered when her head coaching career began in 2009.
Candace Parker had a sensational return for the Sparks after missing most of last season with a dislocated shoulder. Parker finished with a double-double, getting 19 points and 10 rebounds, including a driving lay-up with 1:09 left in the game that ultimately clinched a Sparks win. Tina Thompson added 15 points.
The Lynx had a 50-40 lead with 6:43 the third quarter following a Moore three-pointer, but the Sparks found their stroke behind the arc 16 seconds later.
Sparks guard Kristi Toliver ignited the perimeter offense before Noelle Quinn and rookie Jenna O'Hea assumed control, sinking six combined three-pointers in the second half. The Sparks led 59-57 to end the third quarter and did not trail after that, out-shooting the Lynx 47 percent to 41 percent for the game.
However, Moore's professional debut was perhaps the biggest story of the night as the WNBA began its 15th season. She scored 21 points on 7-of-17 from the floor, including four three-pointers, silencing any questions on her integration following two shaky preseason games against Indiana.
Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson started the season with a double-double after posting a career-high 12 a year ago, with 10 points and 12 rebounds.
The two teams meet again on Sunday when the Lynx host their home opener at Target Center.
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