2016 Minnesota Lynx Schedule Date Opponent Time/Score 5/14 Phoenix... W95-76 5/18 at Chicago... W97-80 5/22 at Seattle... W78-71 5/25 at Phoenix... W85-78 5/27 Indiana... W74-71 5/31 at New York... W79-69 6/4 Dallas... W80-63 6/7 Phoenix... W89-81 6/10 at Atlanta... W110-78 6/11 at Washington... W83-76 6/14 Indiana... W87-63 6/19 at Seattle... W96-84 6/21 at Los Angeles... W72-69 6/24 Los Angeles... L76-94 6/26 at Washington... L63-87 6/29 New York... L92-95 (ot) 7/2 San Antonio... W91-68 7/5 Chicago... W87-82 7/7 at Connecticut... L89-93 (ot) 7/9 Dallas... W93-56 7/12 at San Antonio... W81-57 7/15 New York... W88-70 7/17 at Dallas... W98-97 (ot) 7/20 Atlanta... W83-65 7/22 Seattle... W79-72 8/26 at Connecticut... L80-84 8/28 Seattle... W92-80 9/2 Washington... W75-69 9/4 Connecticut... W93-79 9/6 at Los Angeles... W77-74 9/11 at San Antonio... W81-76 9/13 at Chicago... L97-98 (ot) 9/16 at Indiana... W82-75 9/17 Atlanta... W95-87 9/28 Phoenix... W113-95 9/30 Phoenix... W96-86 10/2 at Phoenix... W82-67 10/9 Los Angeles... L76-78 10/11 Los Angeles... W79-60 10/14 at Los Angeles... L75-92 10/16 at Los Angeles... W85-79 10/20 Los Angeles... 7:00 p.m. 2015 Minnesota Lynx Schedule Date Opponent Time/Score 6/5 Tulsa...W83-75 6/6 at Indiana...W78-69 6/11 Seattle...W94-70 6/14 at Phoenix... L66-81 6/16 at Los Angeles...W67-52 6/19 at San Antonio...W74-59 6/21 Tulsa... L78-86 6/25 at Seattle...W76-73 6/27 Phoenix...W71-56 7/3 Seattle...W82-57 7/10 at Chicago... L83-90 7/12 San Antonio...W66-49 7/14 at Connecticut...W85-79 7/17 Chicago...W84-66 7/19 at Tulsa...W79-72 7/22 Connecticut... L77-78 (ot) 7/29 Los Angeles...W82-76 7/31 Atlanta...W86-70 8/1 at Tulsa...W86-80 8/4 at Los Angeles... L61-83 8/7 at Phoenix... L66-73 8/9 Los Angeles...W72-64 8/11 San Antonio...W83-76 8/14 at Atlanta...W84-82 8/16 at Washington... L69-77 8/19 Washington... L61-79 8/21 at San Antonio...W78-61 8/23 at Phoenix... L67-79 8/28 at New York... L68-81 8/30 Phoenix...W71-61 9/4 Indiana...W81-65 9/6 New York... L71-75 9/8 Seattle...W73-67 9/11 at Seattle... L64-78 9/18 Los Angeles...W67-65 9/20 at Los Angeles... L71-81 9/22 Los Angeles...W91-80 9/24 Phoenix...W67-60 9/27 at Phoenix...W72-71 10/4 Indiana... L69-75 10/6 Indiana...W77-71 10/9 at Indiana...W80-77 10/11 at Indiana... L69-75 10/14 Indiana...W69-52 Minnesota Lynx (2-2) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (2-2) Playoff Game #8, Playoff Home Game #5 Target Center October 20, 2016 at 7:00 PM CDT Probable Starters: TV: ESPN2 Radio: KLCI (106.1 FM) Pos. No. Player Ht. Wt. 2016 Playoffs F 23 Maya Moore 6-0 178 22.3 pts (50.9%), 7.4 reb, 3.7 ast F 32 Rebekkah Brunson 6-2 185 8.9 pts (48.9%), 6.1 reb, 2.1 ast C 34 Sylvia Fowles 6-6 212 13.3 pts (62.9%), 9.9 reb, 1.71 blk G 33 Seimone Augustus 6-0 166 10.3 pts (37.7%), 3.1 reb, 3.4 ast G 13 Lindsay Whalen 5-9 166 13.6 pts (58.1%), 2.1 reb, 3.7 ast Injury Report: Center Janel McCarville: Missed Sunday's Game 4 in Los Angeles after sustaining a back injury in the 3rd quarter of last Friday's Game 3. She's listed as doubtful for tonight's contest. Recent Transactions: Sept. 15: Signed guards Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen to two-year contract extensions. Aug. 25: Signed guard Anna Cruz for the rest of the season. July 17: Signed free-agent forward Nneka Enemkpali to a seven-day contract. July 9: Re-signed forward Bashaara Graves to a second seven-day contract. July 1: Re-signed forward Bashaara Graves to a seven-day contract. June 28: Waived forward Bashaara Graves. May 12: Waived center Porsha Roberts. May 9: Waived guard Sydney Wallace and forward Courtney Williams. May 7: Signed center Janel McCarville to a one-year contract. May 6: Waived guards Nika Barič and Courtney Clements. May 3: Waived forward Kaili McLaren. Apr. 24: Signed free-agent guard Sydney Wallace and free-agent forward Kaili McLaren to oneyear contracts. Apr. 20: Signed free-agent forward Courtney Williams to a one-year contract. Apr. 19: Waived forward Tricia Liston. Apr. 19: Signed forward Bashaara Graves. Apr. 14: Acquired guard Jia Perkins from San Antonio in exchange for guard Jazmon Gwathmey. Apr. 14: Selected the following players in the 2016 WNBA Draft: Guard Jazmon Gwathmey (2nd round, 14th overall), forward Bashaara Graves (2nd round, 22nd overall) and forward Temi Fagbenle (3rd round, 35th overall). Mar. 30: Signed free-agent forward Keisha Hampton and free-agent guard Courtney Clements to one-year contracts. Mar. 9: Signed free-agent center Porsha Roberts to a one-year contract. Feb. 25: Signed free-agent guard Kateřina Elhotová to a two-year contract. Regular-Season Records: Record Home Road Overtime OVERALL 28-6 (.824) 15-2 (.882) 13-4 (.765) 1-3 (.250) EASTERN 13-5 (.722) 8-1 (.889) 5-4 (.556) 0-3 (.000) WESTERN 15-1 (.938) 7-1 (.875) 8-0 (1.000) 1-0 (1.000) STREAKS: Overall: Won 2 Home: Won 10 Road: Won 1 Next Game: (all times Central) Date Opponent Time TV Radio ***End of Season***
Min Four Factors LA.492 Effective FG%.478.208 TO Percentage.141.452 Off. Rebound %.229.387 FT Made / FG Att..224 Min Scoring LA 18 Points off TOs 16 32 Points in the Paint 30 14 2nd-Chance Points 13 22 Fast Break Points 4 Last Game: Sunday, Oct. 16 Minnesota 85, Los Angeles 79 Maya Moore scored 31 points and Lindsay Whalen sank the go-ahead layup midway through the fourth quarter as the Lynx held off Los Angeles, 85-79, on Sunday night at Staples Center. Kristi Toliver's 3-pointer capped a 9-4 start for the Sparks, but Minnesota rallied in front 22-20 after one quarter and Moore triggered a 9-0 spurt that pushed the lead to seven early in the second. Sylvia Fowles' last-second putback sent the Lynx into halftime holding a 46-40 edge, which grew to 10 on a Moore steal and layup at the 8:14 mark of the third. Back-to-back treys from Chelsea Gray and Toliver narrowed the gap to 60-59 in the final minute of the period, and L.A. finally caught the Lynx when Candace Parker made it 69-69 with 6:01 left. Whalen responded with the next two baskets and Minnesota used jumpers from Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson to remain ahead before Brunson and Moore secured the win with free throws in the waning seconds. Whalen had 13 points and Fowles collected 10 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, while Gray led the Sparks with 20 points and Toliver and Parker added 15 and 14, respectively. Previous Game: Friday, Oct. 14 Los Angeles 92, Minnesota 75 Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike combined for 45 points and fueled a first-quarter barrage as Los Angeles cruised to a 92-75 win over the Lynx on Friday night at the Galen Center. The Sparks never trailed, tallying the game's first seven points and opening a 19-6 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Ogwumike. Parker's hook at the 1:58 mark gave Los Angeles its largest advantage of the night at 30-8, and the margin remained at 20 until Minnesota closed the first half with a 14-2 rally that narrowed the gap to 48-40. Essence Carson's basket with 4:06 left in the third period put the Sparks in front by double digits for good, and L.A. carried a 70-58 lead into the fourth. Jumpers by Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen helped the Lynx carve a 17-point deficit to 81-71 with 3:42 to play, but two Alana Beard layups bookended an 8-0 response that sealed the victory for Los Angeles. Parker finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for the Sparks while Ogwumike added 21 points and nine boards, and Beard chipped in 15 points and seven assists. Minnesota was topped by 14 points apiece from Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles. Min Four Factors LA.509 Effective FG%.599.181 TO Percentage.129.217 Off. Rebound %.367.321 FT Made / FG Att..099 Min Scoring LA 8 Points off TOs 24 32 Points in the Paint 52 12 2nd-Chance Points 14 10 Fast Break Points 6 Tonight's Opponent: Los Angeles Sparks 2016 vs. Los Angeles (2-1) Tuesday, June 21 at Los Angeles W72-69 Friday, June 24 at Minnesota L76-94 Tuesday, Sept. 6 at Los Angeles W77-74 The Lynx have won 16 of their past 24 vs. L.A. after a 9-34 start to the series. Minnesota beat the Sparks 2-1 in the 2015 Western Conference Semifinals and swept their 2012 Western Conference Finals series 2-0. First Meeting: Renee Montgomery drilled the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left as the Lynx edged Los Angeles, 72-69, on June 21 at Staples Center. Seimone Augustus led Minnesota with 13 points while Rebekkah Brunson and Natasha Howard added 12 apiece. Kristi Toliver's 20 points topped the Sparks with Candace Parker netting eight rebounds and six assists. Second Meeting: Kristi Toliver tied her career high with seven treys en route to a 25-point effort as Los Angeles dealt the Lynx a 94-76 loss on June 24 at Target Center. Nneka Ogwumike totaled 20 points and nine rebounds for the Sparks while Maya Moore led Minnesota with 28 points. Third Meeting: Sylvia Fowles tallied 21 points and nine rebounds, and Maya Moore scored 12 of her 20 points in the final seven minutes to help the Lynx fend off Los Angeles, 77-74, on Sept. 6 at Staples Center. Chelsea Gray topped the Sparks with a career-high 20 points and Nneka Ogwumike contributed 19 points and eight rebounds. 2015 vs. Los Angeles (3-1) Tuesday, June 16 at Los Angeles W67-52 Wednesday, July 29 at Minnesota W82-76 Tuesday, Aug. 4 at Los Angeles L61-83 Sunday, Aug. 9 at Minnesota W72-64 2016 WNBA Playoffs: Series Capsule: Lynx vs. Sparks All-Time Results: Current Streaks: Overall...25-42 Overall... Won 1 in Minnesota...16-17 Home... Lost 1 in Los Angeles...9-25 Road... Won 2 Playoffs ('03,'12,'15,'16)...7-5 Last Win: 77-74 at Los Angeles (9/6/16) Last Loss: 76-94 at Minnesota (6/24/16) Biggest Win: 43 114-71 at Minnesota (5/31/06) Biggest Loss: 30 66-96 at Los Angeles (7/2/13) Date Site Final Lynx Hi Scorer Lynx Hi Reb Opp Hi Scorer WNBA Semifinals (3-0) Wednesday, Sept. 28 at Minnesota W113-95 Moore 31 Fowles 10 Taurasi 25 Friday, Sept. 30 at Minnesota W96-86 Moore 26 Brunson 11 Taurasi 31 Sunday, Oct. 2 at Phoenix W82-67 Moore 20 Brunson 9 Bonner/Taurasi 12 WNBA Finals (2-2) Sunday, Oct. 9 at Minnesota L76-78 Fowles/Moore/Whalen 18 Fowles 13 Ogwumike/Toliver 19 Tuesday, Oct. 11 at Minnesota W79-60 Moore 21 Fowles 15 Ogwumike 14 Friday, Oct. 14 at Los Angeles L75-92 Brunson/Fowles 14 Moore 7 Parker 24 Sunday, Oct. 16 at Los Angeles W85-79 Moore 31 Fowles 13 Gray 20
Minnesota Lynx 2016 Roster No. Player Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate College/Year Exp Twitter 33 Seimone Augustus G 6-0 166 04/30/84 Louisiana State '06 10 @seimoneaugustus 32 Rebekkah Brunson F 6-2 185 12/11/81 Georgetown '04 12 @twin1532 51 Anna Cruz G 5-9 136 10/27/86 Spain 2 @annacruz_15 34 Sylvia Fowles C 6-6 212 10/06/85 Louisiana State '08 8 @SylviaFowles 24 Keisha Hampton F 6-1 171 02/22/90 DePaul '12 R @Khamp_24 3 Natasha Howard F 6-2 171 09/02/91 Florida State '14 2 @nhoward1033 4 Janel McCarville C 6-2 225 11/03/82 Minnesota '05 8 @JanelMcCarville 21 Renee Montgomery G 5-7 143 12/02/86 Connecticut '09 7 @Da20one 23 Maya Moore F 6-0 178 06/11/89 Connecticut '11 5 @MooreMaya 7 Jia Perkins G 5-8 168 02/23/82 Texas Tech '04 12 13 Lindsay Whalen G 5-9 166 05/09/82 Minnesota '04 12 @Lindsay_13 Head Coach: Assistant Coaches: Athletic Trainers: Cheryl Reeve (La Salle) Jim Petersen (Minnesota) Shelley Patterson (Washington State) Chuck Barta (Wisconsin-La Crosse) Kate Taber (Iowa) ROSTER NOTES: The Lynx signed guard Anna Cruz for the remainder of the season on Aug. 25, restoring the roster to 11 players Of the 12 players who finished 2015 in Minnesota, seven return this season The Lynx have one rookie on their roster free-agent signee Keisha Hampton while veterans Natasha Howard and Jia Perkins were acquired in offseason trades with Indiana and San Antonio, respectively July 17: The Lynx signed forward Nneka Enemkpali to a seven-day contract July 9: Minnesota re-signed forward Bashaara Graves to a second seven-day contract, having inked the initial seven-day deal on July 1; Graves had been waived on June 28 May 12: The Lynx reached their Opening Night roster of 11 by waiving center Porsha Roberts May 9: The Lynx waived guard Sydney Wallace and forward Courtney Williams May 7: Minnesota signed center Janel McCarville to a one-year contract May 6: The Lynx waived guards Nika Barič and Courtney Clements May 3: Minnesota waived forward Kaili McLaren Seimone Augustus remains first on the seniority list, in the midst of her 11th season in a Lynx uniform; Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen are playing their seventh years with Minnesota, while Maya Moore is in season number six Brunson (34), Perkins (34), Whalen (34), McCarville (33) and Augustus (32) are the oldest players on the 2016 roster, while Howard (24) and Hampton (26) are the youngest. HOW THE LYNX WERE BUILT: A look at Minnesota's roster composition for 2016: (*rights held) Apr. 5, 2006 Seimone Augustus, WNBA Draft (1st round, 1st overall) Dec. 14, 2009 Rebekkah Brunson, Dispersal Draft (2nd overall) Jan. 12, 2010 Lindsay Whalen, trade with Connecticut Apr. 11, 2011 Maya Moore, WNBA Draft (1st round, 1st overall) Apr. 11, 2011 *Rachel Jarry, trade with Atlanta Mar. 1, 2013 Janel McCarville, trade with New York and Tulsa Apr. 16, 2015 Anna Cruz, trade with New York July 20, 2015 Renee Montgomery, trade with Seattle July 27, 2015 Sylvia Fowles, trade with Chicago and Atlanta Feb. 2, 2016 Natasha Howard, trade with Indiana Feb. 25, 2016 *Kateřina Elhotová, signed as free agent Mar. 30, 2016 Keisha Hampton, signed as free agent Apr. 14, 2016 *Temi Fagbenle, WNBA Draft (3rd round, 35th overall) Apr. 14, 2016 Jia Perkins, trade with San Antonio ROSTER COMPARISON: The Lynx return seven of 12 players from last year's WNBA champions, matching Dallas for the 6th-highest retention rate; Chicago has a league-high 11 players back from 2015. Minnesota ranks as the oldest team in the WNBA in terms of the average age of its current 11-player roster and also ranks 1st in average years of WNBA experience. A quick breakdown: Team Return Age Exp Oldest Players Youngest Players Minnesota 7 30.86 7.09 37.16 Tamika Catchings, Ind. 21.94 Imani Boyette, Chi. Los Angeles 6 29.53 4.83 36.99 Swin Cash, N.Y. 21.99 Tiffany Mitchell, Ind. Phoenix 6 28.86 5.33 35.93 Ann Wauters, L.A. 22.06 Kahleah Copper, Was. Chicago 11 27.79 4.33 35.92 Sue Bird, Sea. 22.06 Breanna Stewart, Sea. Seattle 9 27.74 4.55 35.32 Penny Taylor, Pho. 22.08 Astou Ndour, S.A. Indiana 9 27.47 4.42 35.05 Plenette Pierson, Dal. 22.24 Ruth Hamblin, Dal. New York 8 27.37 4.58 34.77 Rebekkah Brunson, Min. 22.36 Courtney Williams, Con. Dallas 7 26.42 3.83 34.57 Jia Perkins, Min. 22.39 Morgan Tuck, Con. Washington 10 26.40 3.33 34.52 Érika de Souza, Chi. 22.42 Bria Holmes, Atl. Atlanta 6 26.30 3.17 34.36 Lindsay Whalen, Min. 22.53 Moriah Jefferson, S.A. San Antonio 6 25.61 2.46 34.35 Alana Beard, L.A. 22.67 Aerial Powers, Dal. Connecticut 6 25.50 2.46 34.27 Diana Taurasi, Pho. 22.70 Jonquel Jones, Con. WNBA Average 7.58 27.44 4.15 33.88 Janel McCarville, Min. 22.87 Dearica Hamby, S.A.
2016 Playoff Notes: STARTING LINEUPS: Game #s Forward Forward Center Guard Guard Record 1-7 Moore Brunson Fowles Whalen Augustus 5-2 2016 LYNX PLAYOFF LEADERS (through Oct. 16): TIMES LED TEAM ----- DOUBLE FIGURES ----- PLAYOFF HIGHS 10+ 20+ 10+ 10+ Dbl- Pts Reb Ast Pts Pts Reb Ast Dbl Pts Reb Ast Seimone Augustus... 0 0 2 4 0 0 0 0 14 7 7 Rebekkah Brunson... 1 2 0 3 0 1 0 1 14 11 4 Anna Cruz... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4 2 Sylvia Fowles... 2 4 1 6 0 4 0 4 18 15 4 Keisha Hampton... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 Natasha Howard... 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 17 8 3 Janel McCarville... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 1 Renee Montgomery... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 2 4 Maya Moore... 6 1 3 6 5 1 0 1 31 12 5 Jia Perkins... 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 12 5 4 Lindsay Whalen... 1 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 19 6 7 BY THE NUMBERS: The Lynx are 4-0 when scoring 80+ points 1-2 when scoring less than 80 points 4-2 when shooting 45%+ 1-0 when shooting less than 45% 2-1 when allowing 80+ points 3-1 when allowing less than 80 points 2-2 when allowing 45%+ 3-0 when allowing less than 45% 5-1 when outrebounding their foe or even 0-1 when being outrebounded 5-1 when leading or tied after 3 quarters 0-1 when trailing after 3 quarters 4-1 in games decided by 10+ points 0-1 in games decided by <6 points QUARTERLY REPORT: Los Angeles rolled to a 32-17 lead after 10 minutes last Friday, outrebounding Minnesota 11-5 and tallying nine points from six turnovers. It's the top-scoring 1st quarter the Lynx have ever allowed in the postseason and just the fourth time they've permitted 30+ in a period in 51 playoff contests all-time. A quarter-by-quarter look at Minnesota's 2016 postseason: 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 1st Half 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr 2nd Half Game through Oct. 16 Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Pts / FG% Lynx... 21.7 / 48.3% 22.6 / 50.0% 44.3 / 49.2% 22.9 / 50.4% 19.4 / 50.0% 42.3 / 50.2% 86.6 / 49.7% Opponents... 22.4 / 45.0% 16.1 / 38.4% 38.6 / 41.9% 21.6 / 53.6% 19.4 / 44.0% 41.0 / 48.9% 79.6 / 45.2% Scoring Margins... ( 0.7 pts) (+6.4 pts) (+5.7 pts) (+1.3 pts) (0.0 pts) (+1.3 pts) (+7.0 pts) INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: The Sparks enjoyed a 52-32 edge in the paint last Friday while collecting 24 points from 13 Lynx miscues. It's the second-highest paint total ever vs. Minnesota in a playoff game (Phoenix scored 56 on Sept. 2, 2014) and the 10th time overall they've allowed 20+ points off TOs in the postseason. A game-by-game look at some of the Lynx' key figures in the 2016 Playoffs: FG Pct. FTAs Reb TO Pts off TOs Paint Pts Fast Break 2nd Chance Bench Pts Last 7 Games Min-Opp Min-Opp Margin Margin Min-Opp Min-Opp Min-Opp Min-Opp Min-Opp Sept. 28 vs. Phoenix 63.9%-53.5% 22-16 Min +18 Min 3 16-19 52-44 16-2 17-7 28-34 Sept. 30 vs. Phoenix 43.9%-45.0% 37-31 Min +5 Min +8 19-10 44-46 6-8 17-12 18-16 Oct. 2 at Phoenix 47.9%-41.0% 13-18 Even Min +4 10-12 40-28 8-0 8-7 29-30 Oct. 9 vs. Los Angeles 50.8%-46.7% 16-24 Min +8 Min 4 4-18 40-36 6-11 10-8 8-20 Oct. 11 vs. Los Angeles 45.2%-32.9% 14-17 Min +14 Min 1 15-11 40-30 14-9 17-7 14-11 Oct. 14 at Los Angeles 48.2%-54.9% 20-10 Min 5 Min 4 8-24 32-52 10-6 12-14 18-10 Oct. 16 at Los Angeles 46.8%-41.8% 27-20 Min +15 Min 5 18-16 32-30 22-4 14-13 13-24 Playoffs 49.7%-45.2% 21.3-19.4 Min +8.0 Min 0.7 12.9-15.7 40.0-38.0 11.7-5.7 13.6-9.7 18.3-20.7 2016 LYNX PLAYOFFS PLUS/MINUS REPORT: Last 7 Games Lynx Augustus Brunson Cruz Fowles Hampton Howard McCarville Mntgmry Moore Perkins Whalen Sept. 28 vs. Phoenix W18 +12 +15 +4 +8 2 +12 DNP +6 +18 +1 +16 Sept. 30 vs. Phoenix W10 +11 +14 DNP +1 DNP +8 DNP +9 +8 2 +1 Oct. 2 at Phoenix W15 +10 +15 +6 +6 7 +11 7 10 +24 +2 +25 Oct. 9 vs. Los Angeles L2 6 +3 6 1 DNP 9 +3 +3 +2 3 +4 Oct. 11 vs. Los Angeles W19 +9 +14 +3 +20 +2 +5 1 0 +20 +9 +14 Oct. 14 at Los Angeles L17 22 6 6 19 1 7 +3 0 12 3 12 Oct. 16 at Los Angeles W6 0 2 3 +7 DNP 0 INJ 2 +17 +5 +8 Playoffs Totals: +49 +14 +53 2 +22 8 +20 2 +6 +77 +9 +56 Per Game: +7.0 +2.0 +7.6 0.3 +3.1 2.0 +2.9 0.5 +0.9 +11.0 +1.3 +8.0 Per 40 Minutes: +7.0 +3.1 +10.6 1.6 +4.1 39.0 +7.9 4.3 +2.7 +13.6 +3.0 +12.1
ARE YOU EXPERIENCED?: Four current Lynx players (Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen) have appeared in five of the past six WNBA Finals, while Brunson (Sacramento, 2005 and 2006), Whalen (Connecticut, 2004 and 2005) and Sylvia Fowles (Chicago, 2014) also played in Finals series in previous stops. A look at 2016 finalists' playoff experience: Minnesota (368 games) Los Angeles (209 games) Most WNBA Finals Appearances Rebekkah Brunson... 72 Candace Parker... 32 7 Rebekkah Brunson Sac. (05-06), Min. (11-12-13-15-16) Lindsay Whalen... 72 Essence Carson... 30 7 Lindsay Whalen Con. (04-05), Min. (11-12-13-15-16) Seimone Augustus... 46 Alana Beard... 27 5 Seimone Augustus Min. (11-12-13-15-16) Maya Moore... 46 Ann Wauters... 26 5 Vickie Johnson N.Y. (97-99-00-02), S.A. (08) Sylvia Fowles... 28 Kristi Toliver... 22 5 Taj McWilliams-Franklin Con. (04-05), Det. (08), Min. (11-12) Janel McCarville... 27 Jantel Lavender... 20 5 Maya Moore Min. (11-12-13-15-16) Renee Montgomery... 23 Nneka Ogwumike... 20 5 Le'coe Willingham Con. (04-05), Pho. (09), Sea. (10), Atl. (13) Natasha Howard... 20 Sandrine Gruda... 10 Anna Cruz... 16 Ana Dabović... 9 4 by 15 players Jia Perkins... 14 Chelsea Gray... 8 Keisha Hampton... 4 Evgeniya Belyakova... 3 Jelena Dubljević... 2 PLAYOFF TRIPLE CROWN: The league's top individual scoring, rebound and assist outings of the 2016 Playoffs (through Oct. 16): Most Points, Game Most Rebounds, Game Most Assists, Game 37 Angel McCoughtry, Atl.... Sept. 21 16 Jessica Breland, Chi.... Sept. 25 13 Courtney Vandersloot, Chi.... Sept. 25 31 Maya Moore, Min.... Oct. 16 16 Elizabeth Williams, Atl.... Sept. 21 9 Angel McCoughtry, Atl.... Sept. 25 31 Diana Taurasi, Pho.... Sept. 30 15 Sylvia Fowles, Min.... Oct. 11 9 Briann January, Ind.... Sept. 21 31 Maya Moore, Min.... Sept. 28 15 Candace Parker, L.A.... Oct. 2 8 Candace Parker, L.A... Sept. 30 30 Candace Parker, L.A.... Sept. 28 13 Sylvia Fowles, Min.... Oct. 16 7 Alana Beard, L.A... Oct. 14 30 Tiffany Hayes, Atl.... Sept. 25 13 Sylvia Fowles, Min....Oct. 9 7 Chelsea Gray, L.A.... Oct. 4 30 Diana Taurasi, Pho.... Sept. 24 12 Maya Moore, Min.... Oct. 11 7 Seimone Augustus, Min.... Sept. 28 29 Candace Parker, L.A.... Oct. 4 12 Nneka Ogwumike, L.A.... Oct. 11 7 Lindsay Whalen, Min.... Sept. 28 27 Nneka Ogwumike, L.A.... Sept. 28 12 Candace Parker, L.A.... Sept. 30 7 Sue Bird, Sea.... Sept. 21 27 Angel McCoughtry, Atl.... Sept. 25 7 Layshia Clarendon, Atl.... Sept. 21 26 Maya Moore, Min.... Sept. 30 7 Angel McCoughtry, Atl.... Sept. 21 MILESTONE WATCH: Maya Moore's 18 points in the Oct. 9 opener moved her past Diana Taurasi (262) and Deanna Nolan (256) into 1st place on the WNBA's all-time Finals scoring leaderboard. Meanwhile, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen both passed Tamika Catchings (68) atop the career playoff games played list with their respective appearances in Game 1: WNBA Playoffs Career Leaders (through Oct. 16) Points Total Rebounds Assists Games Played 1. Tamika Catchings... 1141 1. Tamika Catchings... 598 1. Lindsay Whalen... 291 1. Rebekkah Brunson... 72 2. Diana Taurasi... 995 2. Rebekkah Brunson... 506 2. Tamika Catchings... 223 1. Lindsay Whalen... 72 3. Lisa Leslie... 908 3. Lisa Leslie... 471 3. Ticha Penicheiro... 204 3. Tamika Catchings... 68 4. Maya Moore... 894 4. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 442 4. Sue Bird... 198 4. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 64 5. Lindsay Whalen... 875 5. Cheryl Ford... 371 5. V.Johnson/D.Taurasi... 186 5. Becky Hammon... 60 6. Deanna Nolan... 867 6. Yolanda Griffith... 337 5. Teresa Weatherspoon... 186 6. S.Cash/K.Douglas... 56 Points Per Game Rebounds Per Game Steals Minutes Played 1. Cynthia Cooper... 23.3 1. Sylvia Fowles... 9.9 1. Tamika Catchings... 152 1. Tamika Catchings... 2310 2. Angel McCoughtry... 22.8 2. Cheryl Ford... 9.8 2. Maya Moore... 77 2. Lindsay Whalen... 2152 3. Diana Taurasi... 21.2 3. Tina Charles... 9.6 3. Angel McCoughtry... 73 3. Taj McWilliams-Franklin. 1993 4. Candace Parker... 20.3 4. Candace Parker... 9.5 3. DeLisha Milton-Jones... 73 4. Rebekkah Brunson... 1933 5. Maya Moore... 19.4 5. Lisa Leslie... 9.1 5. Katie Douglas... 72 5. Lisa Leslie... 1842 6. Cappie Pondexter... 18.8 6. Tamika Catchings... 8.8 6. Sheryl Swoopes... 71 6. Katie Douglas... 1833 WNBA Finals Career Leaders (through Oct. 16) Points Total Rebounds Assists Games Played 1. Maya Moore... 329 1. Rebekkah Brunson... 172 1. Lindsay Whalen... 98 1. Rebekkah Brunson... 28 2. Seimone Augustus... 291 2. Maya Moore... 127 2. Tamika Catchings... 59 2. Lindsay Whalen... 25 3. Diana Taurasi... 262 3. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 124 3. Briann January... 58 3. Seimone Augustus... 19 4. Deanna Nolan... 256 4. Sylvia Fowles... 116 4. Deanna Nolan... 55 3. Maya Moore... 19 5. Lindsay Whalen... 245 5. Tamika Catchings... 112 5. Cappie Pondexter... 52 5. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 17 6. T.Catchings/K.Smith... 231 6. Cheryl Ford... 110 6. Swin Cash... 50 6. Four players... 16 Points Per Game Rebounds Per Game Steals Minutes Played 1. Cappie Pondexter... 21.4 1. Sylvia Fowles... 9.7 1. Tamika Catchings... 35 1. Rebekkah Brunson... 733 2. Diana Taurasi... 20.2 2. Cheryl Ford... 9.2 2. Deanna Nolan... 25 2. Lindsay Whalen... 692 3. Katie Smith... 17.8 3. Tamika Catchings... 8.0 3. Maya Moore... 24 3. Seimone Augustus... 610 4. Maya Moore... 17.3 4. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 7.3 4. Rebekkah Brunson... 19 4. Maya Moore... 609 5. Tamika Catchings... 16.5 5. Tangela Smith... 6.8 4. Katie Douglas... 19 5. Deanna Nolan... 558 6. Deanna Nolan... 16.0 6. Maya Moore... 6.7 4. Lindsay Whalen... 19 6. Taj McWilliams-Franklin... 544
THE BREAKDOWN: Some quick comparisons of Minnesota's 2016 postseason numbers: ---------- Records ---------- ---------- Lynx ---------- ------ Opponents ------ -------- Margins -------- Total Home Road Pts FG% 3Pt% Pts FG% 3Pt% Pts Reb TO 2016 (Finalists)... 5-2 3-1 2-1 86.6.497.338 79.6.452.327 +7.0 +8.0 0.7 2015 (Champions)... 7-3 5-1 2-2 73.2.434.297 70.7.426.393 +2.5 +4.6 +0.8 2014 (WC Finalists)... 3-2 2-0 1-2 82.6.453.328 86.2.497.363 3.6 2.0 +3.0 2013 (Champions)... 7-0 4-0 3-0 79.0.491.340 63.6.376.216 +15.4 +5.7 +0.9 2012 (Finalists)... 5-4 4-1 1-3 77.1.424.358 77.1.426.333 0.0 +1.2 +0.7 2011 (Champions)... 7-1 5-0 2-1 85.8.466.371 75.6.401.338 +10.1 +8.0 1.9 Finals vs. Los Angeles... 2-2 1-1 1-1 78.8.476.243 77.3.440.323 +1.5 +8.3 3.5 Semifinals vs. Phoenix... 3-0 2-0 1-0 97.0.522.464 82.7.469.333 +14.3 +7.7 +3.0 At Home... 3-1 91.0.511.359 79.8.444.276 +11.3 +11.3 0.0 On the Road... 2-1 80.7.476.308 79.3.462.385 +1.3 +3.7 1.7 In Wins... 5-0 3-0 2-0 91.0.497.380 77.4.429.313 +13.6 +10.6 +0.6 In Losses... 0-2 0-1 0-1 75.5.496.200 85.0.511.370 9.5 +1.5 4.0 vs..500+ Opponents... 2-2 1-1 1-1 78.8.476.243 77.3.440.323 +1.5 +8.3 3.5 vs. <.500 Opponents... 3-0 2-0 1-0 97.0.522.464 82.7.469.333 +14.3 +7.7 +3.0 Day Games... 1-1 0-1 1-0 79.0.492.200 72.5.438.258 +6.5 +4.0 0.0 Night Games... 4-1 3-0 1-1 89.6.498.364 82.4.457.354 +7.2 +9.6 1.0 2+ Days Rest... 1-2 1-1 0-1 88.0.550.333 88.3.520.439 0.3 +7.0 3.7 0-1 Days Rest... 4-0 2-0 2-0 85.5.460.342 73.0.399.261 +12.5 +8.8 +1.5 LYNX TRAX: Minnesota forced a deciding Game 5 with Sunday's 85-79 victory, its first-ever success in three tries in a playoff Game 4 (losing at Indiana in both 2012 and 2015) The Lynx finished 3-0 at Staples Center this year; the rest of the WNBA went a combined 1-15, with Atlanta winning 86-81 on Sept. 8 Los Angeles had moved ahead in the series with last Friday's 92-75 triumph at the Galen Center; the 17-point spread ties Minnesota's 2nd-biggest playoff loss all-time, having dropped a 96-78 decision at Phoenix on Sept. 2, 2014 The Lynx are now 35-16 (.686) overall and 11-12 (.478) on the road all-time in the WNBA Playoffs Minnesota had squared the series with last Tuesday's 79-60 triumph at Target Center, improving to 5-0 all-time in Finals Game 2s The final 19-point margin is the Lynx' largest in 12 postseason meetings all-time with the Sparks and the 3rd-largest among their WNBA-record 12 Finals victories overall; they're 24-4 (.857) at home all-time in the Playoffs Los Angeles dealt the Lynx their first setback of the 2016 playoffs with the 78-76 buzzer-beating decision in the opener on Oct. 9 It was the Sparks' first-ever playoff win at Target Center, having dropped their first four visits including two losses a year ago in the Western Conference Semifinals (67-65 on Sept. 18 and 91-80 on Sept. 22) BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME: Sunday's win at Los Angeles ensures that for the second consecutive season, the Lynx' final game will be played at Target Center Prior to the 69-52 Game 5 victory over Indiana last Oct. 14, Minnesota had won its first two WNBA titles (2011, 2013) in Atlanta, lost in the 2012 Finals in Indianapolis, fell in the 2014 Western Conference Finals in Phoenix, and saw its first two playoff forays end in the first round in Los Angeles (2003) and Seattle (2004), respectively Overall, the Lynx have ended only three of their previous 17 seasons at home (2005, 2007, 2015) Minnesota is 4-0 all-time in close-out games at Target Center, winning Western Conference Semifinal Game 3s vs. San Antonio in 2011 (85-67 on Sept. 20), Seattle in 2012 (73-72 on Oct. 2) and Los Angeles in 2015 (91-80 on Sept. 22), as well the 2015 Finals Game 5 win over Indiana The Lynx are now 13-7 in all potential closeout games (0-2 in 2003, 3-1 in 2011, 2-1 in 2012, 3-0 in 2013, 1-1 in 2014, 3-2 in 2015 and 1-0 this year) THE BOARD REPORT: Minnesota outrebounded Los Angeles 41-25 on Sunday, including 26-14 in the 1st half It's the Lynx' second double-digit board advantage of the series (46-32 in Game 2 on Oct. 11) and third of the 2016 Playoffs (38-20 vs. Phoenix, Sept. 28) Minnesota improves to 13-1 all-time in the postseason when outrebounding their opponent by 10 or more The board edge helped the Lynx outscore Los Angeles 22-4 in transition on Sunday, led by nine points from Lindsay Whalen It's their 2nd-highest single-game total of fast break points in a playoff game (23 vs. Atlanta in Game 1 of the 2011 Finals on Oct. 2) and the fourth time they've tallied 20+ points Through four games in the Finals, Minnesota is outrebounding the Sparks by an average of +8.3 rpg (35.8-27.5) FINDING THE RANGE: The Lynx shot 50.8% in the Oct. 9 opener vs. L.A., their first loss in 11 playoff games all-time when hitting 50% or better On the flipside, the Sparks held Minnesota to an 0-for-4 night from three-point distance; they've been blanked three times overall in the playoffs, all in Finals games (Oct. 8, 2013 vs. Atlanta; Oct. 6, 2015 vs. Indiana) Minnesota shot a franchise postseason record 63.9% (46-for-72) in the Sept. 28 win over Phoenix, equaling the 2nd-best figure in WNBA Playoff history In addition, the Lynx' 113 points in that game represented the top total ever posted in a regulation (non-ot) WNBA postseason game, while their 30 assists marked just the third time in league playoff annals a team has been credited with 30 or more DEFENSIVE DOINGS: Minnesota limited the Sparks to 32.9% from the floor in the Game 2 victory (Oct. 11), including 25.0% (5-for-20) in the 4th quarter It's the 3rd-best defensive percentage in Lynx playoff history (Atlanta 31.2%, Oct. 6, 2013; Phoenix 32.8%, Sept. 24, 2015) and the 15th time overall they've kept an opponent below 40% (12-3 in those) Los Angeles bounced back to shoot 54.9% in Game 3 at the Galen Center last Friday, the 2nd-highest percentage ever allowed by Minnesota in the postseason; Phoenix finished at 58.7% on Sept. 2, 2014 The Lynx are 4-3 all-time when permitting 50%+ in the playoffs, most recently overcoming a 53.5% effort by Phoenix to win 113-95 on Sept. 28 at Xcel Energy Center The Mercury's point total in that contest equaled the 2nd-most ever by a Minnesota opponent in the postseason; Phoenix scored 96 points in the aforementioned Sept. 2, 2014 contest
2016 Minnesota Lynx Playoff Superlatives (through Oct. 16) Lynx Individual Highs: Points... 31 Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/28/16); Maya Moore at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Field Goals Made... 12 Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Field Goals Attempted... 19 Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Field Goal Percentage (Min. 8 FGM)....750 (9-12) Lindsay Whalen vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 3-Point Field Goals Made...4 Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 3-Point Field Goals Attempted...7 Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Free Throws Made... 11 Maya Moore at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Free Throws Attempted... 12 Maya Moore at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Free Throw Percentage (Min. 8 FTM)... 1.000 (10-10) Maya Moore vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Total Rebounds... 15 Sylvia Fowles vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Offensive Rebounds...6 Sylvia Fowles at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Defensive Rebounds... 11 Maya Moore vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Assists...7 S.Augustus/L.Whalen vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Steals...3 (6x) MR: Maya Moore at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Turnovers...5 Maya Moore at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Blocked Shots...5 Sylvia Fowles at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Minutes Played... 39:23 Sylvia Fowles at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Opponent Individual Highs: Points... 31 Diana Taurasi vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Field Goals Made... 11 Candace Parker at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Field Goals Attempted... 19 Diana Taurasi vs. Phoenix (9/30/16); Candace Parker at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Field Goal Percentage (Min. 8 FGM)....889 (8-9) Nneka Ogwumike vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) 3-Point Field Goals Made...4 (4x) MR: C.Gray/K.Toliver at Los Angeles (10/16/16) 3-Point Field Goals Attempted...9 Kristi Toliver vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Free Throws Made... 11 Diana Taurasi vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Free Throws Attempted... 11 Diana Taurasi vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Free Throw Percentage (Min. 8 FTM)... 1.000 (11-11) Diana Taurasi vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Total Rebounds... 12 Nneka Ogwumike vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Offensive Rebounds...3 (5x) MR: Alana Beard at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Defensive Rebounds...9 Nneka Ogwumike vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Assists...7 Alana Beard at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Steals...3 (6x) MR: Nneka Ogwumike at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Turnovers...5 DeWanna Bonner vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Blocked Shots...4 Candace Parker vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Minutes Played... 36:53 Alana Beard at Los Angeles (10/16/16)
2016 Minnesota Lynx Playoff Superlatives (through Oct. 16) Lynx Highs: Lynx Lows: Points, Game... 113 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 75 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Points, 1st Half... 55 (2x) MR: vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 36 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Points, 2nd Half... 58 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 35 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Points, 1st Quarter... 35 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 17 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Points, 2nd Quarter... 31 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 18 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Points, 3rd Quarter... 36 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 15 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Points, 4th Quarter... 25 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 16 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Field Goals Made... 46 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 27 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Field Goals Attempted... 73 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 56 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Field Goal Percentage....639 (46-72) vs. Phoenix (9/28/16).439 (29-66) vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 3-Pt Field Goals Made... 6 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 0 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) 3-Pt Field Goals Attempted... 13 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 4 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) 3-Pt Field Goal Percentage....500 (6-12) vs. Phoenix (9/28/16).000 (0-4) vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Free Throws Made... 33 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 10 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Free Throws Attempted... 37 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 13 at Phoenix (10/2/16) Free Throw Percentage....923 (12-13) at Phoenix (10/2/16).682 (15-22) vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Total Rebounds... 46 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 24 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Offensive Rebounds... 14 at Los Angeles (10/16/16) 5 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Defensive Rebounds... 33 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 19 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Assists... 30 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 15 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Steals... 12 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 6 (3x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Turnovers... 16 (2x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/16/16) 11 at Phoenix (10/2/16) Blocked Shots... 6 (2x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/16/16) 1 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Personal Fouls... 26 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 13 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Opponent Highs: Opponent Lows: Points, Game... 95 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 60 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Points, 1st Half... 48 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) 25 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Points, 2nd Half... 57 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 29 at Phoenix (10/2/16) Points, 1st Quarter... 32 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) 14 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Points, 2nd Quarter... 23 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 11 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Points, 3rd Quarter... 34 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 15 at Phoenix (10/2/16) Points, 4th Quarter... 23 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 14 (2x) MR: vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Field Goals Made... 39 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) 23 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Field Goals Attempted... 71 (2x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/14/16) 60 (2x) MR: vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) Field Goal Percentage....549 (39-71) at Los Angeles (10/14/16).329 (23-70) vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 3-Pt Field Goals Made... 8 (2x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/16/16) 2 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 3-Pt Field Goals Attempted... 20 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 12 (2x) MR: vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) 3-Pt Field Goal Percentage....571 (8-14) vs. Phoenix (9/28/16).150 (3-20) vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Free Throws Made... 30 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 7 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Free Throws Attempted... 31 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 10 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Free Throw Percentage....968 (30-31) vs. Phoenix (9/30/16).647 (11-17) vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) Total Rebounds... 34 at Phoenix (10/2/16) 20 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Offensive Rebounds... 11 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) 4 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Defensive Rebounds... 27 at Phoenix (10/2/16) 16 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Assists... 27 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) 12 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) Steals... 13 vs. Los Angeles (10/9/16) 3 vs. Phoenix (9/28/16) Turnovers... 20 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 9 at Los Angeles (10/14/16) Blocked Shots... 5 vs. Los Angeles (10/11/16) 3 (4x) MR: at Los Angeles (10/16/16) Personal Fouls... 28 vs. Phoenix (9/30/16) 17 at Los Angeles (10/14/16)
2016 Minnesota Lynx Top Individual Playoff Performances (through Oct. 16) POINTS 31 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 31 Maya Moore, 9/28 vs. Pho. 26 Maya Moore, 9/30 vs. Pho. 21 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 20 Maya Moore, 10/2 at Pho. 19 Lindsay Whalen, 9/28 vs. Pho. 18 Sylvia Fowles, 10/9 vs. L.A. 18 Maya Moore, 10/9 vs. L.A. 18 Lindsay Whalen, 10/9 vs. L.A. FIELD GOALS 12 Maya Moore, 9/28 vs. Pho. 9 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 9 Lindsay Whalen, 9/28 vs. Pho. 8 MR: Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. FREE THROWS 11 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 10 Maya Moore, 9/30 vs. Pho. 6 Sylvia Fowles, 9/28 vs. Pho. 5 MR: L. Whalen, 10/16 at L.A. 3-PT. FIELD GOALS 4 Maya Moore, 9/30 vs. Pho. 3 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 2 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 2 Lindsay Whalen, 10/14 at L.A. 2 Renee Montgomery, 9/28 vs. Pho. 2 Maya Moore, 9/28 vs. Pho. TOTAL REBOUNDS 15 Sylvia Fowles, 10/11 vs. L.A. 13 Sylvia Fowles, 10/16 at L.A. 13 Sylvia Fowles, 10/9 vs. L.A. 12 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 11 Rebekkah Brunson, 9/30 vs. Pho. 10 Sylvia Fowles, 9/28 vs. Pho. 9 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 9 Rebekkah Brunson, 10/2 at Pho. 9 Sylvia Fowles, 9/30 vs. Pho. OFFENSIVE REBOUNDS 6 Sylvia Fowles, 10/16 at L.A. 5 Sylvia Fowles, 10/11 vs. L.A. 4 Rebekkah Brunson, 10/11 vs. L.A. 4 Sylvia Fowles, 10/9 vs. L.A. 4 Rebekkah Brunson, 9/30 vs. Pho. DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS 11 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 10 Sylvia Fowles, 10/11 vs. L.A. 9 Sylvia Fowles, 10/9 vs. L.A. 7 MR: Sylvia Fowles, 10/16 at L.A. MR: Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. BLOCKED SHOTS 5 Sylvia Fowles, 10/14 at L.A. 2 Sylvia Fowles, 10/16 at L.A. 2 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 2 Sylvia Fowles, 9/28 vs. Pho. ASSISTS 7 Seimone Augustus, 9/28 vs. Pho. 7 Lindsay Whalen, 9/28 vs. Pho. 6 Lindsay Whalen, 10/9 vs. L.A. 5 Seimone Augustus, 10/16 at L.A. 5 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 5 Maya Moore, 10/14 at L.A. 5 Lindsay Whalen, 10/2 at Pho. 5 Maya Moore, 9/30 vs. Pho. STEALS 3 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 3 Rebekkah Brunson, 10/9 vs. L.A. 3 Seimone Augustus, 10/2 at Pho. 3 Maya Moore, 10/2 at Pho. 3 Natasha Howard, 9/30 vs. Pho. 3 Jia Perkins, 9/30 vs. Pho. TURNOVERS 5 Maya Moore, 10/16 at L.A. 4 Lindsay Whalen, 10/16 at L.A. 4 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 4 Seimone Augustus, 10/9 vs. L.A. MINUTES PLAYED 39 Sylvia Fowles, 10/16 at L.A. 39 Sylvia Fowles, 10/9 vs. L.A. 35 Maya Moore, 10/11 vs. L.A. 35 Rebekkah Brunson, 9/30 vs. Pho. 34 Sylvia Fowles, 10/11 vs. L.A.
WNBA FINALS: Game 1 Oct. 9 at Target Center Attendance 12,113 Time 2:03 Los Angeles... 21 13 22 22 78 Ogwumike/Toliver 19 Ogwumike/Parker 9 Gray 4 Minnesota... 18 18 24 16 76 Fowles/Moore/Whalen 18 Fowles 13 Whalen 6 Recap: Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver scored 19 points apiece, and Alana Beard sank the game-winning jumper as time expired to lift Los Angeles to a 78-76 victory over the Lynx. Neither team led by more than five points during the contest, with the Sparks pulling ahead 21-18 after one quarter. Lindsay Whalen put Minnesota in front by four late in the second before Jantel Lavender countered to keep L.A. within 36-34 at halftime. Ogwumike's three-point play ignited a 10-2 surge that reclaimed the lead for the Sparks in the third, but Sylvia Fowles closed the scoring with a putback to send the Lynx into the fourth quarter with a 60-56 advantage. Toliver struck for seven points in a two-minute stretch and Ogwumike's basket gave Los Angeles a 76-72 lead with 1:15 left. However, the Lynx used a Seimone Augustus jumper and Maya Moore's driving layup to draw even, setting the stage for Beard's heroics. Candace Parker finished with 14 points for the Sparks, while Fowles contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota and Moore and Whalen also tallied 18 points each. Game 2 Oct. 11 at Target Center Attendance 12,832 Time 1:56 Los Angeles... 14 11 21 14 60 Ogwumike 14 Ogwumike 12 Three players 3 Minnesota... 18 21 15 25 79 Moore 21 Fowles 15 Fowles 4 Recap: Maya Moore collected 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Sylvia Fowles added 13 points and 15 boards as the Lynx grabbed a 79-60 win over L.A. Anna Cruz put Minnesota ahead 20-14 early in the second quarter but the Lynx managed just one basket over the next five minutes and the Sparks drew even on Candace Parker's jumper at the 4:50 mark. However, Moore keyed a 17-3 sprint to halftime with eight points and Fowles' putback in the final minute made it 39-25 at the break. Trailing by 17 midway through the third period, Los Angeles ran off 14 unanswered points, narrowing the deficit to 44-41 on Parker's layup with 4:18 to play. Minnesota responded with the next eight and carried a 54-46 advantage into the fourth, but Alana Beard rallied the Sparks to within five at the 9:05 mark. Seimone Augustus' three-point play keyed a 7-0 response that pushed the Lynx' lead back to 63-51 and L.A. could get no closer than 10 the rest of the way. Augustus tallied 14 points for Minnesota while Nneka Ogwumike led the Sparks with 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Beard chipped in 13 points. Game 3 Oct. 14 at the Galen Center Attendance 8,093 Time 2:00 Minnesota... 17 23 18 17 75 Brunson/Fowles 14 Moore 7 Moore 5 Los Angeles... 32 16 22 22 92 Parker 24 Ogwumike/Parker 9 Beard 7 Recap: Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike combined for 45 points and fueled a first-quarter barrage as Los Angeles cruised to a 92-75 win over the Lynx. The Sparks never trailed, tallying the game's first seven points and opening a 19-6 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Ogwumike. Parker's hook at the 1:58 mark gave Los Angeles its largest advantage of the night at 30-8, and the margin remained at 20 until Minnesota closed the first half with a 14-2 rally that narrowed the gap to 48-40. Essence Carson's basket with 4:06 left in the third period put the Sparks in front by double digits for good, and L.A. carried a 70-58 lead into the fourth. Jumpers by Maya Moore and Lindsay Whalen helped the Lynx carve a 17-point deficit to 81-71 with 3:42 to play, but two Alana Beard layups bookended an 8-0 response that sealed the victory. Parker finished with 24 points and nine rebounds for the Sparks while Ogwumike added 21 points and nine boards, and Beard chipped in 15 points and seven assists. Minnesota was topped by 14 points apiece from Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles. Game 4 Oct. 16 at Staples Center Attendance 12,885 Time 2:04 Minnesota... 22 24 19 20 85 Moore 31 Fowles 13 Augustus/Moore 5 Los Angeles... 20 20 19 20 79 Gray 20 Ogwumike 8 Beard 4 Recap: Maya Moore scored 31 points and Lindsay Whalen sank the go-ahead layup midway through the fourth quarter as the Lynx held off Los Angeles, 85-79. Kristi Toliver's 3-pointer capped a 9-4 start for the Sparks, but Minnesota rallied in front 22-20 after one quarter and Moore triggered a 9-0 spurt that pushed the lead to seven early in the second. Sylvia Fowles' last-second putback sent the Lynx into halftime holding a 46-40 edge, which grew to 10 on a Moore steal and layup at the 8:14 mark of the third. Back-to-back treys from Chelsea Gray and Toliver narrowed the gap to 60-59 in the final minute of the period, and L.A. finally caught the Lynx when Candace Parker made it 69-69 with 6:01 left. Whalen responded with the next two baskets and Minnesota used jumpers from Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson to remain ahead before Brunson and Moore secured the win with free throws. Whalen had 13 points and Fowles collected 10 points and 13 rebounds for Minnesota, while Gray led the Sparks with 20 points and Toliver and Parker added 15 and 14, respectively. WNBA FINALS VS. LOS ANGELES (2-2) Player G-GS Min FG-A Pct 3FG-A Pct FT-A Pct Off Def Reb Ast PF Stl TO Blk Pts Avg Moore 4-4 135 28-54.519 5-14.357 18-20.900 3 31 34 16 12-0 6 12 3 79 19.8 Fowles 4-4 147 25-41.610 0-0.000 5-8.625 16 29 45 7 13-0 5 7 9 55 13.8 Whalen 4-4 114 18-35.514 2-5.400 11-13.846 3 7 10 13 5-0 1 9 0 49 12.3 Augustus 4-4 106 16-39.410 1-5.200 8-9.889 4 12 16 10 7-0 0 12 0 41 10.3 Brunson 4-4 107 14-27.519 0-0.000 10-12.833 7 10 17 9 14-0 6 6 3 38 9.5 Perkins 4-0 69 10-21.476 1-7.143 4-4 1.000 1 5 6 7 5-0 3 1 0 25 6.3 Montgomery 4-0 41 2-11.182 0-4.000 8-9.889 1 1 2 9 1-0 1 6 0 12 3.0 Howard 4-0 36 4-10.400 0-0.000 2-2 1.000 2 5 7 1 5-0 2 1 1 10 2.5 McCarville 3-0 16 2-4.500 0-0.000 0-0.000 2 2 4 1 2-0 0 1 0 4 1.3 Cruz 4-0 27 1-9.111 0-1.000 0-0.000 1 1 2 3 4-0 2 2 0 2 0.5 Hampton 2-0 3 0-1.000 0-1.000 0-0.000 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 1 0 0 0.0 LYNX 4 800 120-252.476 9-37.243 66-77.857 40 103 143 76 68-0 26 58 16 315 78.8 SPARKS 4 800 118-268.440 21-65.323 52-71.732 32 78 110 62 76-0 37 45 15 309 77.3
WNBA SEMIFINALS: Game 1 Sept. 28 at Xcel Energy Center Attendance 9,013 Time 2:01 Phoenix... 23 15 34 23 95 Taurasi 25 Taylor 5 Dupree/Harding 5 Minnesota... 24 31 36 22 113 Moore 31 Fowles 10 Augustus/Whalen 7 Recap: Maya Moore scored 31 points and Lindsay Whalen added 19 with seven assists as the Lynx set club playoff records for points, field goal accuracy and assists in a 113-95 victory over Phoenix at Xcel Energy Center. Diana Taurasi sparked a 14-8 start for the Mercury before Minnesota rallied ahead 24-23 by the end of the first quarter. DeWanna Bonner knotted the score at 25-25 early in the second, but Seimone Augustus' jumper touched off a run of 14 unanswered points for the Lynx and the margin grew to 55-38 at halftime behind 19 points from Moore. Minnesota grabbed its largest lead of the night when Sylvia Fowles' three-point play made it 84-59 at the 3:24 mark of the third. Phoenix closed to within 13 with five minutes to play in the contest, but Fowles and Renee Montgomery teamed up for the game's next six points to squelch the comeback bid. Fowles totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, which finished at 63.9 percent from the floor and handed out 30 assists. The Mercury were led by Taurasi's 25 points, with Brittney Griner adding 16 points and three blocks. Game 2 Sept. 30 at Xcel Energy Center Attendance 11,923 Time 2:15 Phoenix... 24 23 18 21 86 Taurasi 31 Harrison 9 Taylor 5 Minnesota... 35 20 22 19 96 Moore 26 Brunson 11 Moore 5 Recap: Maya Moore scored 21 of her 26 points in the first half and the Lynx withstood a 31-point barrage from Diana Taurasi to register a 96-86 win over Phoenix at Xcel Energy Center. Moore's 3-pointer topped off a 24-13 start for Minnesota and the margin reached 35-24 after one quarter. The Lynx opened their largest lead when Moore made it 43-29 with 6:31 to play in the second before late baskets by DeWanna Bonner and Marta Xargay helped the Mercury close to within 55-47 at halftime. Penny Taylor converted a three-point play that narrowed the deficit to six midway through the third, but Moore responded with her fourth trey and Natasha Howard's layup in the waning seconds rebuilt Minnesota's advantage to 77-65. Phoenix could get no closer than eight until the game's final minute when a Taurasi 3-pointer made it 92-86, but Lindsay Whalen's long-range strike completed the scoring and secured the Lynx' 2-0 series lead. Whalen had 16 points and Rebekkah Brunson added 13 points and 11 rebounds for Minnesota, while Taylor contributed 16 points and five assists for the Mercury. Game 3 Oct. 2 at Talking Stick Resort Arena Attendance 9,631 Time 1:56 Minnesota... 18 21 26 17 82 Moore 20 Brunson 9 Whalen 5 Phoenix... 23 15 15 14 67 Bonner/Taurasi 12 Griner/Harrison 7 Xargay 5 Recap: Maya Moore scored 14 of her 20 points in the second half and Natasha Howard added a playoff career-best 17 points to help the Lynx complete a sweep of their semifinal series vs. Phoenix with an 82-67 win. Diana Taurasi sparked the Mercury to a 23-18 lead after one quarter, but Sylvia Fowles bookended a 12-2 start to the second that put Minnesota in front by five. The Lynx went into halftime clinging to a 39-38 advantage thanks to a late pair of free throws from Lindsay Whalen, then broke the game open by outscoring Phoenix 16-5 over the first six minutes of the third quarter. Howard tallied eight points and Moore added six during the blitz, and Minnesota put things out of reach by holding the Mercury scoreless for nearly five minutes to begin the fourth while widening the lead to 74-53. Seimone Augustus netted 12 points and Whalen chipped in 11 with five assists for Minnesota, which advanced to the WNBA Finals for the fifth time in six years. Taurasi and DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury with 12 points apiece while Brittney Griner finished with nine points and seven rebounds. WNBA SEMIFINALS VS. PHOENIX (3-0) Player G-GS Min FG-A Pct 3FG-A Pct FT-A Pct Off Def Reb Ast PF Stl TO Blk Pts Avg Moore 3-3 92 26-52.500 6-14.429 19-19 1.000 4 14 18 10 8-0 6 7 1 77 25.7 Whalen 3-3 72 18-27.667 1-1 1.000 9-11.818 1 4 5 13 7-0 1 5 1 46 15.3 Fowles 3-3 67 14-21.667 0-0.000 10-12.833 6 18 24 2 14-0 1 3 3 38 12.7 Howard 3-0 65 16-19.842 0-0.000 1-5.200 4 10 14 4 11-0 5 4 0 33 11.0 Augustus 3-3 77 10-30.333 1-4.250 10-12.833 1 5 6 14 5-0 7 4 1 31 10.3 Brunson 3-3 93 9-20.450 0-0.000 6-8.750 7 19 26 6 12-0 2 6 1 24 8.0 Montgomery 3-0 48 7-15.467 3-4.750 1-1 1.000 0 1 1 6 4-0 3 2 0 18 6.0 Perkins 3-0 53 5-15.333 0-2.000 4-4 1.000 2 6 8 7 2-0 4 1 1 14 4.7 Cruz 2-0 23 2-6.333 1-1 1.000 0-0.000 1 3 4 4 1-0 0 2 0 5 2.5 Hampton 2-0 5 2-3.667 1-2.500 0-0.000 0 0 0 0 1-0 0 1 0 5 2.5 McCarville 1-0 3 0-1.000 0-0.000 0-0.000 0 0 0 0 0-0 0 0 0 0 0.0 LYNX 3 600 109-209.522 13-28.464 60-72.833 26 80 106 66 65-0 29 36 8 291 97.0 MERCURY 3 600 90-192.469 15-45.333 53-65.815 17 66 83 52 70-2 13 45 10 248 82.7 SERIES NOTES: Minnesota completed a sweep of its best-of-five semifinal series vs. Phoenix with the 82-67 win on Oct. 2, ousting the Mercury for the fourth time in five postseason encounters The Lynx improve to 10-2 all-time vs. Phoenix in the WNBA Playoffs (4-2 on the road), with both losses coming in 2014 Minnesota becomes the first team to appear in five WNBA Finals series; Houston (4-0), Detroit (3-1), Phoenix (3-1) and New York (0-4) have played in four apiece Minnesota opened the series by downing the Mercury, 113-95, on Sept. 28 It's the third playoff game in which the Lynx have tallied 100+; they beat Phoenix 103-86 on Sept. 25, 2011 at US Airways Center and held off Atlanta 101-95 on Oct. 5, 2011 Minnesota shot 63.9% (46-for-72) from the field in Game 1, shattering its prior playoff high of 56.9% (33-for-58) set vs. Atlanta in Game 2 of the 2013 Finals (Oct. 8) In addition, the Lynx' 30 assists broke their previous postseason best of 27, set vs. San Antonio on Aug. 21, 2014 Minnesota piled up a 38-20 rebounding edge in Game 1, tying its largest margin ever in a playoff game; the Lynx outrebounded Atlanta 40-22 in Game 2 of the 2013 Finals (Oct. 8)