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Storm-Lynx Preview
Although they're playing their stingiest defense in a decade, the Minnesota Lynx thought a couple of performances weren't up to their standards in the early portion of the season.
After bouncing back with two strong efforts at the defensive end and then getting a lengthy break, the Lynx will try to pester the Seattle Storm as they look for an 11th consecutive home win in the series Friday night.
Minnesota (7-2) is allowing 69.0 points per game, its lowest mark since giving up 67.3 in 2005, but gave up more than 80 points in its two losses. Coach Cheryl Reeve shouldered the blame after an 86-78 defeat to Tulsa on June 21.
Her team responded with a 76-73 victory at Seattle four days later, its 13th in the past 16 meetings, and the Lynx were razor sharp Saturday against Phoenix. Minnesota spoiled Brittney Griner's return from a seven-game suspension with a 71-56 victory over a team that beat them 81-66 on June 14.
The Lynx held the Mercury to 33.3 percent shooting and a 3-for-12 performance from 3-point range while forcing 20 turnovers. They limited Griner to six points and four field goal attempts in the first three quarters.
"I think this group feels really good right now. That first stretch we went through was hard. It was really hard. We had to hear a lot of (criticism)," Reeve said. "The bear has been poked and the bear is awake. That's a really good thing for us.
"We're still a good defensive team. We just felt we weren't doing things at a high enough level to win the really hard games."
Minnesota held Seattle to 13 points in the final 17 minutes last week while rallying from an 18-point deficit. Damiris Dantas had the go-ahead 3-point play with 18 seconds left and Seimone Augustus scored a season-high 24 points.
Augustus was limited to six points on 3-of-13 shooting Saturday, but Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen had 21 apiece.
The Lynx put together a more balanced effort in their first matchup with the Storm, a 94-70 home victory June 11. Tricia Liston's 15 points topped five players in double figures and Minnesota outshot Seattle 53.0-38.1 percent.
The Storm, near the bottom in the league with 69.8 points per game, snapped a five-game skid with a 74-69 win over the Shock on Tuesday. Sue Bird had a season-high 17 points and Jewell Loyd scored five of her 13 in the final three minutes.
"We are gaining experience," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official website. "We had three games in a row that were basically one-possession games. We lost all of them, but each one saw progress and I thought we just continued to make progress tonight."
Seattle hasn't won at the Target Center since July 17, 2010.
Although they're playing their stingiest defense in a decade, the Minnesota Lynx thought a couple of performances weren't up to their standards in the early portion of the season.
After bouncing back with two strong efforts at the defensive end and then getting a lengthy break, the Lynx will try to pester the Seattle Storm as they look for an 11th consecutive home win in the series Friday night.
Minnesota (7-2) is allowing 69.0 points per game, its lowest mark since giving up 67.3 in 2005, but gave up more than 80 points in its two losses. Coach Cheryl Reeve shouldered the blame after an 86-78 defeat to Tulsa on June 21.
Her team responded with a 76-73 victory at Seattle four days later, its 13th in the past 16 meetings, and the Lynx were razor sharp Saturday against Phoenix. Minnesota spoiled Brittney Griner's return from a seven-game suspension with a 71-56 victory over a team that beat them 81-66 on June 14.
The Lynx held the Mercury to 33.3 percent shooting and a 3-for-12 performance from 3-point range while forcing 20 turnovers. They limited Griner to six points and four field goal attempts in the first three quarters.
"I think this group feels really good right now. That first stretch we went through was hard. It was really hard. We had to hear a lot of (criticism)," Reeve said. "The bear has been poked and the bear is awake. That's a really good thing for us.
"We're still a good defensive team. We just felt we weren't doing things at a high enough level to win the really hard games."
Minnesota held Seattle to 13 points in the final 17 minutes last week while rallying from an 18-point deficit. Damiris Dantas had the go-ahead 3-point play with 18 seconds left and Seimone Augustus scored a season-high 24 points.
Augustus was limited to six points on 3-of-13 shooting Saturday, but Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen had 21 apiece.
The Lynx put together a more balanced effort in their first matchup with the Storm, a 94-70 home victory June 11. Tricia Liston's 15 points topped five players in double figures and Minnesota outshot Seattle 53.0-38.1 percent.
The Storm, near the bottom in the league with 69.8 points per game, snapped a five-game skid with a 74-69 win over the Shock on Tuesday. Sue Bird had a season-high 17 points and Jewell Loyd scored five of her 13 in the final three minutes.
"We are gaining experience," coach Jenny Boucek told the team's official website. "We had three games in a row that were basically one-possession games. We lost all of them, but each one saw progress and I thought we just continued to make progress tonight."
Seattle hasn't won at the Target Center since July 17, 2010.
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