The Game

The Lynx have quite the challenge on Friday night against the Washington Mystics at Target Center.

The Mystics are the first-place team in the WNBA with an 18-7 record. The Lynx are in seventh place at 13-12, but just five games back from Washington.

Of course, five games back with nine games remaining is quite the task, but with six teams inbetween, it just shows there’s going to be a lot of shiftin and maneuvering as the season winds down.

Minnesota is 0-2 against Washington, most recently just five days ago in Washington where the Lynx fell 101-78.

It feels like the key should just be to stop Elena Delle Donne, right? Not so fast. The Mystics have four players averaging 20 or more points per 36 minutes.

• Delle Donne: 23.7 PPG
• Tianna Hawkins: 21.6 PPG
• Aerial Powers: 20.1 PPG
• Emma Meesseman: 20.1 PPG

Pick your poison.

The Lynx will need to take care of the ball, and cause Mystics turnovers. Easier said than done. Washington has turned the ball over just 290 times this season, the fewest the WNBA. The Lynx, meanwhile, have turned the ball over a league-leading 415 times per game.

What: Lynx vs. Mystics
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Target Center
Watch: Fox Sports GO
Listen: BOB FM 106.1.
Tickets

Lynx Connection

I guess this isn’t so much of a Lynx connection as a Minnesota connection, but Washington head coach Mike Thibault was born in St. Paul, Minnesota.

It’s all well documented, but . . . Thibault was Lindsay Whalen’s first WNBA coach in Connecticut and his daughter, Carly, is actually an assistant coach for Whalen’s Golden Gopher team. The two got to know each other from Whalen’s six-year career in Connecticut.

Something You Might Not Have Known…

Actually, this is quite the opposite. This is something that you should absolutely know. Lynx forward Napheesa Collier should be the Rookie of the Year.

Collier is averaging 11.8 points (second among rookies) to go with 6.4 rebounds (second), 2.4 assists (fourth), 1.9 steals (first) and  0.9 blocks (second) per game.

Her main threat has been Arike Ogunbowale. It’s probably somewhat important to point out that Collier has her team in playoff position, while the Wings are 3.5 games out.

Collier’s versatility and committment to both sides of the court is what sets her apart.

Injury Report: 

Lynx: Karima Christmas-Kelly (knee) and Jessica Shepard (ACL) are out.
Mystics: Kristi Toliver (knee) and Kiara Leslie (knee) are out.

Probable Starters:

Lynx: PG—Sims, SG—Augustus, SF—Collier, PF – Dantas, C—Fowles
Mystics: PG—Cloud, SG – Powers, SF – Atkins, PF – Delle Donne, C – Sanders