Lynx on 9-1 roll going into playoffs, outscore Phoenix in latest win

The Lynx finished their best regular-season ever in fitting fashion. They beat Phoenix, the WNBA's highest scoring team, 96-90 on Sunday on their home court.

"We're the best team in the league and we just want to make sure that every time we play, we put quality basketball on the court and try to defend and rebound," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said, according to a postgame news release issued by the Mercury. "And I thought we did a lot of things well tonight, but the playoffs weren't on our minds today."

The Lynx shot 56.1 percent -- which ties their seventh best performance ever -- and got a season-high 42 points from their bench.

Six Lynx players scored in double figures: Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus and Monica Wright each had 15 points, Rebekkah Brunson 14, and Taj McWilliams-Franklin and Jessica Adair 10 apiece. The 6-4 Adair also had 13 rebounds for her first double-double of her career.

The Lynx (27-7) score more than 90 points for the ninth time this season. Three teams have won 28 games in WNBA history and, with the Lynx, now three have won 27 so it's a pretty exclusive group. Their 13th road victory on Sunday tied a WNBA record.

"Minnesota is the best team right now," said Phoenix coach Corey Gaines, asked about the playoffs. "We got to win to get to them. Most of the time to win the championships you got to beat the champion. So Seattle's our champion."

The Mercury will play at Seattle on Thursday in their best-of-three Western Conference semifinals.

On the Lynx facing San Antonio in their opening playoff series, Reeve said, "It's going to be a hard series. They're so well coached and quality players that have a lot of pride."

The Lynx were 4-0 against the Silver Stars this season, but won the first two games on buzzer-beaters.

" We know that that series is going to be really difficult, as is every series in the playoffs," Reeve said. "You know, we've got to play well; we've got a couple days of practice that we will fine tune some things and we'll see if we can't continue to play well."

Moore said the Lynx won't change their approach for playoff games. "[We'll do] the same things that we always do: just being a defensive team, winning the rebounding battle, executing on offense, playing team ball," she said. "It's the same things. We don't want to develop bad habits now that the season is wrapping up.

"I just want to come in and play as hard as I can, as smart as I can for my teammates. So far we are right on track to do what we set out to do in the beginning of the season. Every time we step out on the court, we're working for a championship, we're working to win and I'm just excited to continue to have more games with this team."

"The team has changed," Augustus said. "Over the years, we've changed our players, traded players. We've got a great core group of players, a great mix of young players and veterans. Three vets [Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Rebekkah Brunson and Alexis Hornbuckle] that's won championships so that's great to have that knowledge and that experience in here."

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* Lindsay Whalen, who had five assists against the Mercury, finished with 199 assists this season, a career and franchise high. She averaged 5.9 assists per game, edging Becky Hammon of St. Antonio, who averaged 5.8, for the league lead in that statistical category.