31 DAYS OF AUGUST:

At the start of August I do the same thing every season.  Count up the number of games, the number of days spent on the road, and try and figure out how the Lynx get out of this seemingly long month still standing. Thus far the Lynx are 4-4 in August with a tough road trip in front of them. They will battle the Stars and the Mercury and then five days later  head to the Big Apple to play the Liberty. August finally wraps up with the Mercury at home finishing off the long month at Target Center.  It’s easy to get nervous with the Lynx as our expectations for this team run so extremely high!  I decided to look at the facts before I hit the panic button and saw only good things. The Lynx still own the best record in the WNBA, sitting on top of the Western Conference. Seimone Augustus, our Olympian with the best mid-range game in the league, is back and looking more like her old self in each game.  We have already clinched a playoff spot and when this was posted Phoenix sits 21/2 games behind us for first place.  The Lynx have yet to play their best basketball of the season as they continue to get comfortable with the mid season integration of new players.  So yes, August is long and oftentimes tumultuous but the Lynx are still on task to be playing their best ball in September when it counts the most.

MYSTICS MAGIC:

The Washington Mystic have been a thorn in the side of the Minnesota Lynx the last few seasons.  In a span of five days the Mystics have managed to beat us on the road and shockingly at Target Center.  The Eastern Conference teams are battling it out, jockeying for playoff positions. Washington is currently tied for 2nd place with Indiana. The Mystics have done very well against Western Conference opponents going 7-1.  Kara Lawson had a great series against the Lynx shooting 57.1% in the two meetings and going 8 for 8 from the charity stripe.

FORMER SOUTH TIGER GIVING BACK:

Tayler Hill, a Minnesotan native, returned to her former high school (mine too) Minneapolis South to hold a basketball clinic.  Her busy schedule with the Mystics allowed her only enough time to go speak to the kids and sign autographs.  It is wonderful to see WNBA players giving back to the communities that they play in as well as the communities that they come from.  Tayler is returning to the WNBA after having a baby last season and Mystics head Coach Mike Thibault talked about the importance of Hill’s development saying “I would say she’s still got a huge upside to her.  I think she’s only scratching the surface to what she can do.  If we are going to be an elite franchise down the road, her development is key for us.”

CATWALK FOR A CURE:

I’m so excited to be emceeing my very favorite Lynx charity event for the year, Catwalk for a Cure presented by Mayo Clinic.  This event allows fans to see the players and coaches in a fun, laid back atmosphere walking the runway!  Seeing the styles of the players and watching their individual personalities shine as they raise money for the Minnesota Lynx Foundation, which supports breast cancer research, is a blast. This is one of those events that fans really get to see the Lynx players up close and bid on sports memorabilia. Wondering what Coach Reeve will sport down the runway has proven to be one of the highlights of the evening.

For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Amanda Collins, Lynx Community Relations Manager, at 612-673-1681 or via email at Amanda.Collins@lynxbasketball.com.