Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (15-5) at Phoenix Mercury (13-7) | 9:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: No TV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

All good things must come to end…or so the saying goes at least. The Minnesota Lynx saw a few good things end this week.

First, forward Maya Moore’s scoring streak of 20+ point games came to end when she could only muster 13 points in Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks. The game started with such promise too. Moore scored 11 points in the opening quarter but was held to just two points through the final three. Moore was not the only Lynx player struggling to score on Tuesday night.

After closing the deficit to just 39-35 at halftime, the Lynx were outscored 44-26 in the second half and suffered their fifth loss of the season, ending what was a three-game winning streak.

“We didn’t have a lot of good flow that we usually play with. We turned the ball over, and sparked their transition, and settled early for some quick shots,” said Moore. “It was just a struggle to get into our offense. We weren’t able to get some of our passes. The little things costed us.”

The Lynx will definitely need to be more disciplined on defense tonight when they face a very good Phoenix Mercury team.

The Mercury enter tonight’s game on a four-game winning streak and, despite two very close overtime games, have played very well, particularly forward Candice Dupree. In her last three games, Dupree is averaging 23.6 points and 4.6 rebounds.

Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson will be tasked with stopping Dupree while Lynx center Sylvia Fowles will be challenged with guarding Mercury All-Star center Brittney Griner.  Griner and Dupree have been very good of late and Brunson and Fowles are coming off a game against the Sparks in which they allowed 54 points in the paint, the fifth-most paint points allowed in Lynx franchise history.

““Our mentality is always to start a run, get stops and come together defensively,” said Moore. “We have to be more disciplined on defense and more determined.”

A repeat showing defensively would surely sink the Lynx once again and with the Mercury sitting only two games behind Minnesota for first in the Western Conference, every conference game has added importance from here on out. The Lynx will need a win tonight to expand their conference lead and end their road-trip with a win.

LAST MEETING

These two teams last met over a month ago on June 27 in the Target Center. Since Minnesota and Phoenix last met, the two teams have seemingly done nothing but win games. When they last faced-off, Minnesota put on a clinic defensively en route to a 71-56 win.

The Lynx held Phoenix to just 19-of-57 shooting (33 percent) including 3-of-12 (25 percent) from beyond the arc. The Lynx also forced 20 turnovers including 10 steals and 10 blocked shots. At the time, it was Minnesota’s best defensive showing of the season.

Lynx forward Maya Moore scored 21 points to go with five rebounds, six assists and five steals, while guard Lindsay Whalen added 21 points of her own. Forward Devereaux Peters added  five points, four rebounds and four blocks off the bench for the Lynx.

“This was the best flow we’ve had all season,” Whalen said, speaking about her team’s performance.

Playing in her first game back from a suspension, center Brittney Griner led the Mercury scoring 14 points and grabbing 11 rebounds while blocking two shots. Guard Dewanna Bonner added 18 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots for Phoenix in the loss.

KEY MATCHUP: LYNX FRONTCOURT VS. MERCURY FRONTCOURT

As I alluded to earlier, points in the paint are always key for the Minnesota Lynx.

The Lynx entered Tuesday night’s game against Los Angeles second in the league in points allowed in the paint (28.3 points) yet allowed 54 points in the paint to the Sparks and lost 83-61.

The Mercury have averaged 29.3 points in the paint in their last three games and will look to continue such success tonight. Everyone both in and around the WNBA know the Mercury are capable of doing so.

Forward Candice Dupree and center Brittney Griner are two of the best at scoring in the paint, and guard DeWanna Bonner is one of the best at penetrating and getting points inside as well. Minnesota will rely heavily on their depth in the frontcourt in stopping Phoenix’s interior success.

Forwards Rebekkah Brunson and Asjha Jones along with center Sylvia Fowles will be deeply tested tonight, but have had success this season in stopping teams inside. Aside from Minnesota’s last disastrous interior defensive showing, they were very solid inside, allowing an average of just 28 points in the paint during their three-game winning streak. The Lynx are most successful when they can stop penetration and control the paint.

Whichever team controls the paint will control the pace of the game and, in turn, control the game. Let’s hope for huge performances from players like Brunson, Jones and Fowles tonight.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Lynx: PG – Whalen, SG – Cruz, SF – Moore, PF – Brunson, C – Fowles

Mercury: PG – Mitchell, SG – Bonner, SF – Currie, PF – Dupree, C – Griner