sports
Roman Augustoviz spends Minnesota's winters covering college hockey, specifically the Gophers, and other University of Minnesota sports. During the summer, he writes about the WNBA's Minnesota Lynx, with a dose of U sports sprinkled in. Follow him on Twitter @RomanStrib.
Augustus, Brunson lead Lynx to 6-0
Posted by: Roman Augustoviz under Lynx Updated: June 1, 2012 - 9:27 PM
The Lynx erased some bad memories at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday night. They had not won there since beating Connecticut 68-52 on July 22, 2004, losing regularly once a year. That adds up to a seven-game losing string to the Sun on its home court.
Even last year, when they won the WNBA title, they were crushed by the Sun 108-79 as visitors.
Not this time. The Lynx beat Connecticut 85-72 in a game that looked like it would go down to the last possession. It didn't.
With the Lynx holding a 71-68 lead, Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the ageless one, grabbed an offensive rebound, put the ball in and was fouled. She completed the three-point play for a 74-68 lead. The Sun answered with a quick two-point basket but were outscored 11-2 after that.
The win gives the Lynx a 6-0 record, their best start in franchise history. They have won 12 games in a row going back to the playoffs last year -- an unofficial team record.
This was also their ninth regular-season win in a row, tying the official record for consecutive wins set last year from July 5 to August 7.
They also have won a franchise-best eight games in a row on the road.
Seimone Augustus led the Lynx with a game-high 23 points. Rebekkah Brunson also had a huge game with 14 points and 13 rebounds, her first double-double of the season.
McWilliams-Franklin, who had that key three-points play, finished with nine points and seven boards.
And, off the bench, Monica Wright was her new aggressive self with 13 points. The Lynx needed her this game because Maya Moore, going back to Connecticut where she starred at UConn, was mostly ineffective. She had three points, zero rebounds.
A year ago at Connecticut, Moore also struggled. She went one for seven from the field and had two points
The Lynx shot 50 percent exactly, reaching that mark or better for the fifth time in six games. They also outrebounded the Sun 45-34.
Connecticut (3-1) is one of the best teams in the league at home. The Sun were 15-2 at home last season and 2-0 this season.
Tina Charles, a 6-4 center and two-time all-star, had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Sun, but all those points and 11 of those rebounds came in the first 2-1/2 quarters.
At times, both teams looked bad. The Lynx committed 20 turnovers and were behind 63-58 with under eight minutes left. They also have up 19 offensive rebounds to the Sun. And twice they fouled three-point shooters when they probably didn't have to.
The Sun shot horribly at times, starting the game four for 22 from the field. The Sun was two for 19 on shots from behind the arc. just awful.
* The Lynx are now 12-13 against the Sun in their all-time series, 4-9 in away games.
6-0 START PUTS LYNX IN RARE CLUB
Only six other WNBA teams have started the season with six or more wins and each of them reached the league finals. Here is the list:
# Team Year Final Postseason
9 Los Angeles 2003 24-10 Lost in Finals
9 Los Angeles 2001 28-4 WNBA Champs
7 Detroit 2007 24-10 Lost in Finals
7 Houston 1999 26-6 WNBA Champs
7 New York 1997 17-11 Lost in Finals
6 Minnesota 2012 ??? ???
6 Atlanta 2010 19-15 Lost in Finals
Source: Lynx PR
ADVERTISEMENT
recent posts
- Sweden wins gold at home, U.S. takes bronze in World Championships
- Augustoviz blog: Hakstol announces 2013-14 recruiting class at UND: eight in all, with size
- U.S. finds the net again and again in rout of Russians
- Augustoviz blog: Gophers finish second in Big Ten men's track and field
- U.S. shuts out Germany in Men's World Championship
- U women's track and field team eighth in Big Ten meet
- U.S. beats France 4-2 in Men's World Championship
- Wisconsin at home for almost two months in middle of season
- Augustoviz blog: St. Cloud State passes out hockey awards
- Augustoviz blog: Sharpening their goalie skills: Six Minnesotans at national camp
- Augustoviz blog: Gophers, Big Ten release 2013-14 hockey schedules
- Gophers in tight race for first in Big Ten baseball
- U.S. improves to 2-0 in IIHF World Championship
- Minnesotans collect 10 points in U.S. comeback over Austria
- Nine with ties to U invited to women's natational selection camp
- Augustoviz: Five Minnesotans come home with silver
- Augustoviz: Underage drinking issue pops up again for UND hockey
Post By Category
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
inside the StarTribune
-
425 Portland Av. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
(612) 673-4000
- Company
- Subscriber Services
- Website
- Buy Ads
- Store
- Connect with Us
© 2013 StarTribune. All rights reserved.
StarTribune.com is powered by Limelight Networks
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters