Moore says Lynx are ready for WNBA finals Game 4 bounce-back

LOS ANGELES -- The Lynx came out for their media availability this morning looking like a loose bunch. Seimone Augustus was joking about working out her dance steps for WNBA finals Game 4 introductions tonight at Staples Center.

This isn't surprising. Yes, the Lynx are down 2-1 in the best-of-five series. Yes, they need a win to extend the series to a Game 5 in Minneapolis Wednesday. But this is also a very veteran bunch that has been through this before.

Asked if this was a bounce-back opportunity, Augustus – who went scoreless in Game 3 Sunday – said it was a bounce back for everyone.

"We look at the film and we know what we have to do,'' she said. "It's just a matter of going out and doing it.''

It should be noted that both Augustus and Lindsay Whalen went scoreless in Sunday's game, and Maya Moore was scoreless in the first half. And still, the Lynx were within a point of the Los Angeles Sparks in the middle of the fourth quarter.

Last year the Lynx responded to a one-sided loss to the Sparks in game three by beating Los Angeles on their home court.

Could this be a repeat?

--To Cheryl Reeve, here is the No. 1 priority for tonight: Ball control.

The Lynx had 16 turnovers in Game 3, which resulted in 18 Sparks points. More importantly, the Sparks deflected 27 Lynx passes, which disrupted the flow of the Minnesota offense.

"It was the first game we didn't take care of the ball,'' Reeve said. "Too many deflections. It's really a return to what we did in Game 1 and 2.''

--Reeve was asked if she would consider starting a game with the small lineup that has proven effective at times in this series.

No.

That said, Reeve will remain willing to go to the smaller lineup if the timing is right. There have been stretches, particularly in Games 1 and 3, when a smaller lineup spaced the floor and took some of the double-teaming pressure off center Sylvia Fowles.

--Sparks center/forward Nneka Ogwumike is sporting some stitches under her right eye, the result of a Fowles hit in Game 3.