Whalen scores 4,000th point as Lynx win sixth in row

SEATTLE – Not even KeyArena, once a house of horrors for the Lynx, torments them anymore.

The Lynx overpowered Seattle 75-60 on Saturday night for their sixth consecutive victory.

"It's weird hearing that we've won six in a row. It doesn't feel like it," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "It doesn't feel like that long ago when we lost three in a row. It's more of a testament to how we're staying in the moment, not reading our clippings, and just really moving on to the next task."

Four starters scored in double figures for the Lynx, including point guard Lindsay Whalen, who went over 4,000 points in her 10-year WNBA career.

Needing nine points for the milestone, she scored 10, all in the first half. Whalen got her final two points on a driving layup with 3 minutes, 23 seconds in the half.

With the victory, the Lynx (24-7) need only one more victory in their last three games — or a Los Angeles loss — to clinch the Western Conference title for the third year in a row.

And they could get that victory in Seattle. They play the Storm again on Tuesday. Between 2005 and 2010, the Lynx lost 10 games in a row at KeyArena, but they are 3-2 there since with one more game to play. If they win it, they will finish 4-0 this season against the Storm.

Rebekkah Brunson scored 19 points, Seimone Augustus had 14 and Maya Moore 11. Janel McCarville only had two points but contributed a season-high 10 rebounds. Devereaux Peters had six points and 10 rebounds, a season high for her, too.

The Lynx dominated Seattle 40-29 on the boards and shot better, 46.3 to 35.6 percent. The Storm, who trailed 40-33 at halftime, tried to stay close by shooting threes. But Seattle was an awful 2-for-16 behind the arc.

The Lynx lead the Sparks by 2½ games in the West. And it seems likely they will play Seattle in the conference semifinals.

Tanisha Wright led Seattle with 22 points and eight rebounds.

The Lynx committed only 11 turnovers, one below their season-average of 12. If they maintain that average, they will break Washington's single-season record of 12.5 turnovers per game.