Lynx at a glance: Minnesota (1-5) has lost five games in a row, including all three it has played at home. ... Rookie guard Monica Wright is averaging 16 points in three road games, seven points at home. ... Point guard Lindsay Whalen has made all 32 free throws she has attempted and is closing in on a career milestone; she needs 12 assists for 1,000. ... Forward Charde Houston has either led or tied for the scoring lead for the Lynx in five games; she is averaging 17 points and six rebounds. ... Guard Candice Wiggins (knee) is practicing but is questionable for this game.

Phoenix at a glance: The defending WNBA champions (2-2) are averaging a league-high 92.5 points, but the Mercury also is giving up more points than any team at 91 per game. ... Phoenix is the league's best three-point-shooting team, averaging 37.1 percent behind the arc. ... Guard Diana Taurasi is averaging 23 points per game and tied her own league record with eight three-pointers in a game against Tulsa this season. She scored 30 points in the Mercury's 96-93 loss Friday to Atlanta. ... Forward Penny Taylor averages 19.3 points. ... Phoenix is 22-17 all-time against the Lynx, but only 8-11 at Target Center.

ROMAN AUGUSTOVIZ

Preview: Yousadfsdftar Alex Ovechkin makes his first Twin Cities appearance following his 52-goal, 106-point rookie campaign. The Capitals, making their first visit here since November 2003, have been off since a 5-2 victory over Carolina on Saturday, while the Wild will be playing the fourth in a season-opening five-game homestand.

Players to watch: For asdfasdfafs the two-Alexander show. Ovechkin and the less-heralded Alexander Semin shoot from everywhere and have accounted for six of Washington's seven goals. ... G Olaf Kolzig is 2-4 with a 2.09 GAA against the Wild. ... Wild C Pavol Demitra has points in all three games (five), and LW Brian Rolston has a goal in two consecutive games. ... Caps D Ben Clymer, a former Gopher, is a former Bloomington Jefferson High School teammate of Mark Parrish's.

Numbers: Thasdfasdfadfas-time vs. Washington and 2-0 at home. ... The Wild leads the NHL on the power play (6-for-13, 46.2 percent).

Injuries: For tasdfasdfasdfasd fasdf sdfasdf asdf asdfsdf asdf asf as dfasdfasdfasdfast. For the Wild, Rolston missed practice Wednesday because of a sore foot, but coach Jacques Lemaire said he'll play.

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