Taj will set record at start of playoff game with LA

As soon as the opening tip happens, about 7:07 p.m., there will be a record set at Target Center.

This will be Taj McWilliams-Franklin's 59th WNBA playoff game. She is currently tied with Becky Hammon of San Antonio for most playoffs games at 58.

She played in her first playoff series with the Orlando Miracle -- which became the Connecticut Sun in 2003 -- in 2000. The Miracle lost their first series in three games to the Cleveland Rockers, who later folded.

McWilliams-Franklin has played in the playoffs 10 times, representing five cities. The list:

Orlando in 2000

Connecticut 2003-06

Detroit, 2008, '09

New York, 2010

Lynx, 2011, '12

She has averaged 11.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists in her 58 playoff games. Twice she has played on championship team, the first time in Detroit in 2008 and again with the Lynx last season.

* Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson is averaging 16.7 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks and steals in three playoff games. She has made 20 of 33 shots, which is 60 percent.

* The Lynx and LA are 1-2 in points and shooting percentage in the league. The Lynx scored 86 points per game during the regular season and shot 47.3 percent, LA was at 84 ppg and 45.8 percent. Not much edge there.

But the Lynx were better on defense, holding opponents to 40.7 percent shooting -- second best; they held the opposition to under 40 percent a league-high 17 times. LA's defense was tied for eighth in opponents' FG percentage at 41.6 percent.

* The Lynx averaged a league-high 15 points on fastbreaks, LA was third at 12.3.