Western Conference Finals: Rivalry rising?

BY MIKE PEDEN

In order to begin a rivalry, several ingredients are required, with a winning franchise starting the recipe.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers hold one thanks to its NFL-leading longevity in games played. At the height of the clash between the Colorado Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings, a physical Western Conference Finals in 1996 set up a March 1997 climax with the Brawl in Hockeytown. A similar scrum in the 2003 American League Championship Series renewed a long, bitter grudge between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. NBA fans will tell stories of the peaks and valleys between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, whose 33 combined championships account for more than half of the league's 65 titles.

The 12 teams currently participating in the WNBA does not foster a geographical rivalry, so series history is usually the first indicator. That does not bode well for the Minnesota Lynx, who have had few opportunities with only three playoff appearances in 13 years.

Send in the Phoenix Mercury, whose roster and demeanor can naturally breed angst and aggression for opposing fans. Candice Dupree spoke of the "hothead" perception to ESPN prior to their game three win over the Seattle Storm to earn a match with the Lynx for the right to play in the WNBA Finals. Diana Taurasi has critics with her penchant for earning technical fouls when she disagrees with a call. Of course, there will also be bets placed on how many games both teams will break the century mark in this series with their fluency in the up-tempo, transition game.

"(Phoenix) is always putting pressure on your defense. They're one of the fastest teams. We have to expect a game with a lot of possessions," said Seimone Augustus, following the series-clinching win over San Antonio.

The Mercury pride themselves on the plethora of scorers to keep heat on opposing teams. Highlighting the reserves is DeWanna Bonner. She scored what was a career-high 24 points off the bench in their 112-105 win at Minnesota on July 13, the first of five 20-point games in 2011.

On the other hand, Minnesota's bench was blanked in an 85-80 loss at Phoenix Aug. 9, the low point of their streaky nature. However, observers must also note the 42 points they added in extended roles to close out the season with a 96-90 win Sept. 11. Jessica Adair recorded her first career double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

"Our bench play is going to be a serious test. We're going to need them, especially for me. That running up and down, I'm going to need some subs!" Taj McWilliams-Franklin joked, referring to her 40 years of age.

The catalyst for building the potential rivalry is Augustus, the longest-tenured Lynx player in her sixth season with the franchise. Shaking off any sign of drama with her comic behavior, Augustus will seek to add defensive holds to her show-stopping routine.

"I've been in the league a long time, and Seimone has always been considered an offensive mastermind," McWilliams-Franklin said during the press conference after game three. "This year, coach Reeve put the onus on Seimone, as a veteran, to pick up her defensive intensity."

Ironically, while Augustus has been touted for improving her defense, her regular season numbers in all major statistical categories roughly followed her career averages. Augustus' increased supporters accounts for her career-low 16.2 points per game in 2011, even though her free throw shooting increased from 66 percent in 2010 to 86 percent this year and her field goal shooting climbed from 43 percent a year ago to 50 percent.

However, Augustus' first-round performance could create candidacy among the league's clutch players. Augustus is averaging 4.7 rebounds after the first round, up from her regular season average of 3.5. Her 21.7 points per game is 5.5 points ahead of her regular season pace.

In Minnesota's game three victory to clinch the first-round series with San Antonio, Augustus finished with 22 points and eight rebounds, two boards away from what would have been her second career double-double. Her first came June 10, 2008, when she had 11 points and 10 assists in a 75-66 loss to the Connecticut Sun.

"When she puts her mind to it, she's a great defender. She crashes, she plays hard," said Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson.

While little expectation will be placed on Augustus to get double-figure rebounding with Brunson, McWilliams-Franklin and Adair for post options, she will exhibit ambition to defend the superstars to counter those who say she can only score.

"She makes them do something different. Contesting, rebounding and still has the ability to get smooth while she's guarding the best player. That's the evolution of Seimone. To see it on the court, it's awesome," McWilliams-Franklin said.

Phoenix holds the obvious edge in playoff experience. Taurasi and Penny Taylor remain stalwarts from the 2007 championship team, with Bonner and Ketia Swanier able to draw from their 2009 Finals run. Brunson, herself a champion from the 2005 Sacramento Monarchs, sees no need to lecture her title-less teammates about the playoff atmosphere after advancing past the first round.

"They know the tempo that we need to play, the intensity they need to have and the sense of urgency they need to play with. I'm just going to lead by example," she said.

Lynx season now "a kind of magic"

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.

Mercury "triples" past Lynx for shootout win

BY MIKE PEDEN

Just your typical game between the Phoenix Mercury and Minnesota Lynx took place Wednesday at Target Center.

Defense is expected to be an afterthought when these two teams battle throughout the season, and the first of five match-ups for the two clubs offered a glimpse, with Phoenix earning a 112-105 road victory. The win gave Phoenix sole possession of first place in the Western Conference at 9-4, continuing their surge with their ninth win in the last ten games.

High scores are expected because no matter who players attempt to defend, both teams have far too much talent to quell an offensive riot. Ten players in all finished in double-figures, with the Mercury's Diana Taurasi scoring a game-high 27 points, including five three-pointers. She added eight assists for good measure.

"It really starts with (Candice Dupree) and (Temeka Johnson) and how they can get the tempo going and today, they did a really good job," Taurasi said. "We just got a couple more stops towards the end."

Utility player DeWanna Bonner added a season-high 24 points off the bench, including three treys and a 7-of-7 performance from the free throw line.

With most Mercury starters contributing early and often, Bonner's lone goal was continuing to feed the energy of the league's most prolific scoring team.

"(Minnesota) hit some big threes, got a couple lay-ups off of runs. We stuck together as a team," she said.

The Mercury jumped ahead quickly, leading by as much as 13 before the Lynx (7-4) warmed up from the floor. Minnesota sought to utilize their advantages in rebounding and turnovers, and were headed that way with a 91-80 lead with 6:31 left in the fourth quarter.

Phoenix responded with three consecutive three-pointers, taking the lead for good with 45.1 seconds left after Penny Taylor sank both free throws following a clear path foul by Seimone Augustus.

With Phoenix leading 108-105 with 13.3 seconds to go, there was a quick glimmer of hope for the 11,820 in attendance when Taylor missed the second of two free throw attempts. Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson misplayed the carom, sending the ball out-of-bounds and the Lynx's chance to win with it.

The loss marks the eleventh time in the last two seasons where the Lynx lost after leading by 10 points or more.

"Our defense was supposed to be our staple and we didn't have any of that tonight," said Brunson, who posted her eighth double-double of the season with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

Phoenix made sure of that by lighting up what was the best three-point defense in the league, sinking 14 of 27 from long distance while Minnesota made just 4 of 18, with rookie forward Maya Moore bricking all eight of her attempts.

"You expect them to make three-point shots, but the transition buckets, you can prevent those and it just didn't happen," said Augustus, who scored a team-high 22 points.

Minnesota will regroup quickly, as they prepare for their only back-to-back pairing of the season on Friday and Saturday, with the locker room aura reflecting their focus to correct errors.

"We have to get better at running people off the three-point line. We have to get better help," Brunson said.

The two-time WNBA champion Mercury already know about getting better, with no one sweating in the heat of losing the first three games of the season.

"We showed that we are a team that's banded together," Taurasi said.

Lynx shade Sun with third quarter run

BY MIKE PEDEN

WNBA fans and pundits considered the Minnesota Lynx the best three-quarter team in basketball last season, as their leads would usually only last to that point.

After the Lynx darkened the Connecticut Sun with a 90-67 win Saturday night at Target Center, the Lynx may be called the best third quarter team in the WNBA as they tied San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference.

Minnesota (7-3) outscored Connecticut (6-4) 23-6 in the third stanza as Connecticut made only two of 18 shots in the period. The Sun's shooting woes allowed the Lynx to blow open a 44-43 halftime lead and ride in cruise control for the rest of the game.

"Their defensive pressure in the second half was way better than the first and way better than ours," said Sun head coach Mike Thibault.

"When we play defense like that, it really sparked our offense," said Lynx rookie forward Maya Moore.

Proof was evident in field goal shooting, as Minnesota made 49 percent of their shots to Connecticut's 35 percent. Moore herself was electric, setting a new career high in scoring with 26 points on 9-of-14 from the floor, draining six of nine three-point attempts.

Even more impressive is who she compiled the stat line against, playing against several former UConn teammates for the first time since collegiate intra-squad practices. They include last year's first overall draft pick Tina Charles, Kalana Greene, and former Lynx guard Renee Montgomery.

"It forced me to focus because I know how talented they are," Moore said.

"Once you play with somebody so long, you know what shots are going to go in and what aren't. If you leave her open, they're going in," Montgomery said.

As Moore was tearing through her former college teammates, forward Rebekkah Brunson notched her seventh double-double of the season in her first game since being named Western Conference Player of the Month in June, getting 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Although Brunson's accolades attract growing national attention, with ESPN broadcaster Carolyn Peck campaigning to get Brunson in this year's All-Star Game on a televised game Tuesday, stats are still simply numbers for the Washington, D.C. native.

"I'm just going for some more wins. (If) we keep winning, I'm happy," Brunson joked with reporters.

Lynx guard Seimone Augustus added 20 points, hitting eight of her 15 shot attempts.

As Minnesota's chemistry and offensive production grow, so does the evidence suggesting their era of recent futility is shrinking.

"You can't double team anybody, and as soon as you give anybody an open look, it turns into points," said Sun forward Ashja Jones.

Montgomery led Connecticut in scoring with 14 points, with Jones adding 13 and reserve forward Kelsey Griffin chipping in 12.

Minnesota will get some regularity for the remainder of their schedule, as they no longer have any gaps of one week or more in between games. That also means fewer days of practice and less time to restore energy, but the transition is little concern for the Lynx.

"You don't have time to be tired, you just have to keep fighting," Moore said.

The youth demographic will get their chance to see Minnesota on Wednesday, when they host the Phoenix Mercury for their annual "Kiddie Day" promotion.

Click the player below to listen to WNBA President Laurel Richie's conversation with reporters prior to Saturday's game

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.

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.

Lynx's new pack members attract record crowd

BY MIKE PEDEN

2,055 people watched the Minnesota Lynx roster play under official game conditions for the first time in 2011 Tuesday, when they hosted the Indiana Fever in preseason play.

If the game took place at Target Center, those fans would fill just over 10 percent of the building's total capacity. At Concordia University's Gangelhoff Center in St. Paul, where the game was held, that number stood for the first preseason sellout in Lynx history. Although results do not count for the season, the Lynx suffered no omens in their 71-66 win against the Fever.

To be sure, the addition of Maya Moore in this year's draft generated buzz not seen since the Lynx entered the WNBA in 1999. Lynx front office members also took on a long outreach campaign to attract kids from neighborhood schools for the noon game. Those students comprised about half of the crowd in attendance.

While courting the young meant decibel levels matched the Lynx's annual Kids Day promotion throughout the game, the Lynx's outreach strategy paid off in an unexpected way when audio equipment problems at the scorer's table prevented a scheduled vocalist from performing the National Anthem. After a few minutes of murmurs and wonders, Fever players performed the song a cappella, and fans young and old quickly joined in.

School kids showed their gratitude to the Fever's gesture as most cheered when Tangela Smith sank the game's first basket, a 22-foot three-pointer.

Those kids quickly reverted to the hometown team, as head coach Cheryl Reeve played everybody on her training camp roster except Alexis Hornbuckle, whose strained hamstring kept her in street clothes.

Although Moore has been hailed as Minnesota's next star since she was drafted, fellow first-round pick Amber Harris showcased the team's revamped post players. The Xavier alum finished with a double-double, netting 10 points and 10 rebounds, showing the versatility that landed her on Lynx radar since last year.

Moore was more sluggish, scoring just four points on two-of-eight shooting, but she did get five rebounds and three assists. She also got a visitor's "welcome to the WNBA" greeting, when Fever forward Tamika Catchings juked Moore one-on-one for a lay-up early in the first quarter.

With a full training camp roster, the preseason game served an effective audition for players considered "on the bubble" to make the final cut of 11 players for the regular season. One predicted battle is the backup center slot between Quanitra Hollingsworth and Jessica Adair. Hollingsworth had one rebound and one assist in 7:23 of floor time, while Adair was limited to 4:37 after racking up four quick fouls, but she scored two points on free throws and scooped one rebound.

Guard Kachine Alexander, a former Iowa Hawkeye who attended high school at Benilde-St. Margaret's, banked a 20-foot jump shot for her only basket of the game. She added two steals in her 7:13 of playing time.

The best performance came from St. Paul native Angel Robinson, who first made local headlines in high school when she led an undefeated St. Paul Central team to the class AAAA state championship in 2007. Robinson finished with four points, two rebounds, two assists and one steal in 13:22.

The Lynx have one more preseason tune-up at Indiana next Tuesday before they decide who stays and who goes.

Click this link to listen to interviews with Minnesota's Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Angel Robinson and Indiana's Katie Douglas.

Minnesota Lynx host 2011 media day

TSB Sports, along with the majority of the Minnesota press corps, flocked to downtown Minneapolis for the Minnesota Lynx media day. We took advantage of our new video recording capabilities to present a more interactive form of storytelling you'll see more of as we cover the 2011 Minnesota Lynx season, the first under the TSB banner. Game day coverage will stay the same with written articles, but our goal is providing more profile stories and other video content.

In the meantime, click the links below to watch Lynx players converse with local media for media day.

Chardé Houston

Taj McWilliams-Franklin

Alexis Hornbuckle

Amber Harris

Rebekkah Brunson

Maya Moore

Head coach Cheryl Reeve

Kachine Alexander and Angel Robinson

Lindsay Whalen