Season of great promise ends in another disappointment

The Lynx were picked as the most improved team in the WNBA in a preseason survey of the league's 12 general managers.

But the Lynx ended their 12th season Sunday with a dismal 13-21 record, one game worse than the 2009 season -- and more importantly, one game shy of a playoff spot. So, for the sixth season in a row, the Lynx are home for postseason play.

What happened? The Lynx began and ended the season shorthanded. A day before training camp began, Seimone Augustus had surgery to remove painful fibroids and had a hysterectomy. Three days later, Candice Wiggins had surgery for a torn meniscus in her right knee. Without those two key players, the Lynx started the season 2-9 under first-year coach Cheryl Reeve.

Augustus, who missed nine games, averaged 16.9 points when she returned and shot 42.9 percent from the field, both career lows. She especially struggled in the stretch, scoring under 10 points in four of the final six games.

Wiggins returned for eight midseason games, then ruptured her left Achilles' tendon.

With three road games left, starting center Nicky Anosike departed and the Lynx lost twice. Anosike had surgery Monday in Tennessee for a torn lateral meniscus in her right knee.

"I always thought this was a playoff team, that's the expectation," Reeve said after the team's last home game. "But some things were thrown at us that didn't quite go our way and we dug a hole."

Among other issues the Lynx had:

Lack of a killer instinct: The Lynx lost nine games in which they had double-digit leads. "Anybody watched the last half of the season has seen this team grow together," Reeve said Monday. "We started to gel a little, but we did not finish off games."

Poor shooting: Anosike and forward Rebekkah Brunson, a ferocious rebounder, both struggled to score inside. Nobody could hit a three-pointer some games. The Lynx were last in field-goal percentage (39.7 percent) and second-to-last in three-point shooting (32.2).

Porous defense: Opponents shot 44.6 percent from the field; only three teams were easier to score upon. In the Lynx's biggest game of the season, the Sparks made 12 of 14 shots in the fourth quarter Friday to beat the Lynx 98-91 in Los Angeles, virtually dooming Minnesota's playoff chances.

But wait until next season. The Lynx will have two of the top four picks in the WNBA draft; a lottery will determine if they will get the No. 1 pick, expected to be Connecticut's Maya Moore.