Lynx dominate another opponent as unbeaten roll continues

Taj McWilliams-Franklin of Lynx has second perfect night in team history, making all eight shots she took.

June 7, 2012 at 5:23PM
Minnesota Lynx guard Monica Wright (22) pushes the ball past Seattle Storm forward Victoria Dunlap in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, June 6 2012, in Minneapolis.
Minnesota Lynx guard Monica Wright (22) pushes the ball past Seattle Storm forward Victoria Dunlap in the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, June 6 2012, in Minneapolis. (Stacy A. Bengs — Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

What the Lynx are doing is getting more and more notice around the WNBA.

Here is what John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant wrote about the Lynx after a recent win in Uncasville, Conn.:

"In every league, every year, there is an alpha team. The WNBA has one: The Minnesota Lynx.

"The defending champions won their first five prior to coming to the Mohegan Sun Arena Friday [June 1]. They's won their past 11 games daring to last season's postseason. And they have three of the 12 who will play for gold this summer at the London Olympics.

"Yes, this is a big-time team."

The Lynx have built on those winning numbers since. They have won 11 regular-season games in a row, starting with a win at New York on Sept. 4 last season. They are 15-1 in their last 16 regular-season home games. The loss was to the Liberty on Sept. 2.

On Wednesday, one of those Olympians, Seimone Augustus, didn't play. It didn't matter much. The Lynx crushed Seattle 79-55 at Target Center with SA sitting on the bench in her warm-up outfit. She had a strained quadriceps.

Seattle is off to a horrendous 1-5 start -- the worst since its first year as a franchise in 2000. But the Storm hit several new lows against the Lynx:

* 55 points, rock bottom

* 33.3 percent shooting, yuck. Seattle has shot under 40 percent in its last five games, but this was its roughest outing yet

* four for 22 on three-pointers. That's 18.2 percent. Ouch.

PERFECT GAME

Taj McWilliams-Franklin's eight-for-eight shooting night was the second perfect night in Lynx history for one of their players. (This is based on somewhat taking a significant number of shots, not just one or a couple.)

Augustus was 11 for 11 from the field on June 8, 2007 against Los Angeles.

Two reserves also had big games, with season highs in two key statistical categories.

Rookie Devereaux Peters, Taj's backup, scored 14 points and had four assists.

Backup guard Candice Wiggins made four three-pointers for 12 points and had six rebounds.

The Lynx bench combined for 33 points -- Augustus' number -- on 10 of 18 shooting. The reserves also had 14 rebounds and eight assists.

The 79 points the Lynx had was a season low, but they still lead the league in points per game, 85.9, and shooting percentage, 52.5.

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