Lynx at a glance: Minnesota (14-17) is out of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row and eighth time in the 10-year history of the franchise. The Lynx won their first game after the month-long break for the Beijing Olympics, beating the Washington Mystics at home. But then they lost four in a row -- one shy of tying a season high -- on a road trip West. ... Three-point shooting doomed Minnesota in its latest loss, 78-71 Sunday at Sacramento. The Lynx were 1-for-11 behind the arc, the Monarchs 8-for-14, so Sacramento had a 24-3 advantage in points on threes. ... Guard Candice Wiggins is rated the No. 2 rookie in the WNBA behind Candace Parker of Los Angeles by www.wnba.com; center Nicky Anosike is No. 4 on that list behind Chicago center Sylvia Fowles. ... Despite 20 turnovers on Sunday, the Lynx are still first in the league in fewest turnovers per game, 13.97.
Fever at a glance: Indiana improved to 15-16 with its victory at Atlanta on Monday. The Fever, 2-2 since the WNBA resumed games, has clinched a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. .... Four players average in double figures: Katie Douglas (16), Tamika Catchings (12.9), Tammy Sutton-Brown (10.8) and Ebony Hoffman (10.3). Hoffman, a 6-2 forward, also grabs a team-high eight rebounds per game. ... The Lynx won 84-80 in overtime at Indiana on July 24. ... The Fever is 13th in the league in scoring, averaging 71.3 points; but Indiana's defense is limiting opponents to 71.53, making it the third-stingiest.
ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ
