Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (18-8) at San Antonio Stars (7-19) | 7:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: No TV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

The night is always darkest just before the dawn (Yes, I just worked a Dark Knight reference into a scouting report).

For the Lynx, their season seemingly got the darkest on Wednesday night after suffering a 79-61 loss to the Washington Mystics on their home floor. The Lynx tied their season-low for points and set a new season-low for shooting percentage. After the game, both players and coaches spoke of frustration, especially with the offensive struggles.

So what’s a good way to get rid of frustration and, for the Lynx at least, find the light of the dawn in the WNBA? Win basketball games. The Lynx will look to get rid of all their frustrations tonight when they take on the San Antonio Stars.

Despite the offensive…struggles that the Lynx had on Wednesday night, they are starting to gain the needed chemistry and rhythm that they so desperately lacked in their past three games. With all moving pieces like guards Seimone Augustus and Anna Cruz along with center Sylvia Fowles  finally healthy and with the team, they have finally had a chance to play a string of games together and will look to capitalize on that tonight.

Sitting just two wins away from achieving homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, the Lynx definitely have the right team to play against tonight.

Minnesota enters tonight’s contest having already won the first three games against the Stars this season by an average of 13 points. With a roster that is finally completely healthy and accounted for, the Lynx will go for the season-sweep of the Stars as well as maintain the best record in the WNBA and their lead in a tightening Western Conference.

The Stars have been…struggling, to say the least.

Having lost seven of their last eight games, the Stars have slipped to fifth in the Western Conference and are unofficially out of the running for the playoffs this season; however, they can still spoil Minnesota’s bid for first in the Western Conference and homecourt throughout the playoffs and will aim to do just that tonight.

Stars guard Jia Perkins has proved tough to guard in two games against Minnesota this season, averaging 15.5 points, three assists and over two steals and is averaging 13.8 points per game this season. If Perkins can play well, she will cause problems for the Lynx once again.

Stars guard Kayla McBride has done her best to lead a struggling San Antonio team this season, leading the team averaging 15 points and three rebounds per game this season.

LAST MEETING

The last meeting between these two teams ended with a Minnesota Lynx victory and the Lynx clinching a berth in the 2015 WNBA Playoffs with an 83-76 victory over the San Antonio Stars.

Despite being down by 11 points at half, the Lynx gathered their composure and came out in the second half focused and ready to punch their ticket to the playoffs, outscoring the Stars 30-13 in the third quarter and holding that momentum for the rest of the game.

Lynx forward Maya Moore put the team on her back and led Minnesota to the playoffs, pouring in 32 points, including 12 points in the third quarter alone. Moore added nine rebounds, four assists and three steals as well.

Center Sylvia Fowles also had a big third quarter and finished with 16 points and four rebounds.

Guard Kayla McBride led San Antonio’s attack, scoring a team-high 24 points, while guard Jia Perkins added 15 points, four assists and three steals in the loss.

KEY MATCH-UP: LYNX OFFENSE VS. THEMSELVES

Is anyone confused about what I’m getting at with this match-up? Well let me explain.

The Lynx offense reached a season-low in their last game, putting up a season-low tying 61 points on 21-of-61 (34.4 percent) shooting from the floor. The 34.4 percent was a season-low for Minnesota and, as Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said after the game Wednesday night, frustration seemed to set in.

The Lynx lead the league in double-digit comebacks, but struggled to mount a comeback against the Mystics and that was due in large part to their offensive frustrations.

Minnesota has a talent-laced roster that is, for the most part, still getting used to playing together; this unfamiliarity can lead to such frustrations at times.

Reeve has always said that her team makes absolutely no excuses when they play poorly or make mistakes so I won’t make any excuses either; their offense played poorly on Wednesday night, plain and simple. If the Lynx hope to correct such struggles and beat the Stars tonight, they will need to prevent any frustrations from setting in and keep their focus on running a crisp and efficient offense that Lynx fans are accustomed to seeing.

If Minnesota can maintain its composure and keep their offense running smoothly and, more importantly, frustration free, they will cruise by the Stars and set themselves back on the winning track; of course, the keyword in that statement being “IF.”

PROJECTED STARTERS

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

Stars: PG – Perkins, SG – McBride, SF – Colson, PF – Young-Malcolm, C – Appel