Fast starts and fastbreaks keys to 3-1 Lynx start

They're fast, those Lynx are. And that's the reason they are winning at the start of the 2011 season.

Here is how they have started the either the first or second half past three games:

* Outscored Los Angeles 17-4 at the start of the second half to take a 63-44 lead. Maya Moore has six points on two three-pointers, Lindsay Whalen has five with one three.

* Up 17-3 late in first quarter against Tulsa. Whalen and Rebekkah Brunson both have six points,

* Up 22-0 against the Storm in Seattle after 7:03. All the starters have at least one basket. Brunson has nine points, Whalen five, Taj McWilliams-Franklin four, and Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus two apiece.

Now, look at the differerence in fastbreak points the past three games, all Lynx wins:

* Outscored L.A. Sparks 18-2 at Target Center. Edge in season opener was only 8-3 and Minnesota lost.

* Outscored Seattle 14-0.

So in three victories, the Lynx have outscored their opponents 53-7 in fastbreak points.

Said Storm forward Swin Cash after the loss: "We have to be a lot more physical. They were getting too many easy cuts, easy baskets."

LYNX LOCKER ROOM

Maya Moore, the rookie forward, may have had her best game in the Lynx's 81-74 victory over Seattle. She had 14 points, make seven of 10 shots -- she was 0-for-1 on threes -- and getting six rebounds and one assist.

"We knew we had to come in with a really tough mindset because it's hard to get wins in this place, so I'm really proud of the way we came out. We were able to hold on toward the end there. We knew Seattle wasn't going to just lay down and die -- they were going to fight their way back."

Rebekkah Brunson, the 6-2 veteran Lynx forward, had her fourth double-double with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Someone asked her is she would have a double-double every game this season? "I hope so, but I'm just going to keep playing. I'm not really a stat person and I'm not focused on that. Everybody else is a little more focused on that than I am, but I just want to do what I can to contribute and help. If that means being intense and aggressive to the rebounds, then that's what I'm going to do."

Brunson said the Lynx "still have a lot of room to grow. We're a young team, we still have a lot of thigns to learn and it's still a long season. We can't get too excited, but we're going to enjoy it right now and then we'll go back to work."

ETC.

The Lynx snapped the Storm's 13-game winning streak last season by beating them at Target Center. On Thursday, they broke Seattle's 22-game home winning streak. ... Minnesota did not get its third win last season until the 12th game, which gave them a 3-9 record.

The Lynx shot 57.1 percent from the field -- better than any team all season against the Storm last year. Connecticut was the hottest team against Seattle last year, making 55.2 percent of its shots on Aug. 13.

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