Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (15-6) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (7-14) | 6:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: NBATV, FS North

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

Oh it is good to be home. Road trips can be absolutely brutal sometimes and the Minnesota Lynx are coming off a road trip they’d probably like to forget.

After a three-game Western Conference road trip that handed the Lynx a 1-2 record and saw their lead in the Western Conference slip to just a single game over the Phoenix Mercury, the Lynx return home tonight to take on the Los Angeles Sparks and hopefully gain revenge for last week’s loss in Los Angeles.

After opening their road trip with an 86-80 win over the Tulsa Shock, the Lynx traveled to Los Angeles and suffered their worst loss of the season, losing 83-61 to the Sparks. Minnesota closed the trip with a 73-66 loss to the Phoenix Mercury on Friday night. Minnesota has struggled both offensively and defensively in their last two games and will have little time to turn it around if they hope to maintain their lead in the Western Conference. Holding that lead will not be easy when facing a streaking Sparks’ team.

The Sparks have won four-straight games and have been fantastic since forward Candace Parker returned. Parker is averaging 17.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists since her return and have helped the Sparks defeat their last two opponents (yes, the Lynx are included in that) by an average of 24.5 points.

Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike has paced Los Angeles all season long, averaging 16 points and eight rebounds this season, including a 26 point, five rebound performance in her last game against Tulsa. Ogwumike played very well late in the game against the Lynx last week and will be a key factor in tonight’s game.

The Sparks, though still eight games behind the Lynx in the Western Conference, have been making a huge push to make the playoffs and could really push themselves into the playoff conversation with a win over Minnesota tonight.

After scoring 20+ points in 11-straight games, Lynx forward Maya Moore has averaged just 10 points in her last two games and has shot just 12-of-30 (40 percent) including 4-of-14 (28 percent) from beyond the arc. Moore is determined to turn things around now that the Lynx are heading home.

“You definitely feel the  pain of losing. It doesn’t feel good,” said Moore. “We have to stay focused on the details that will let us win the next game against the next team: taking care of our bodies, making sure that we stay together, stay focused, and play really hard. We have a home game coming up, so it’ll be good to go back home and just continue to move forward on some of the mistakes we made here.”

LAST MEETING

The Lynx and Sparks will face-off for the fourth and final time this season when they meet tonight in Minnesota. The two teams last met a week ago in Los Angeles and the Sparks handed the Lynx their worst loss of the season, defeating the Lynx 83-61.

Forward Candace Parker led the Sparks, finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. Center Jantel Lavender added a double-double of her own, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds while forward Nneka Ogwumike added 13 points and four steals in the win.

Lynx forward Maya Moore entered the game having scored 20+ points in 11-straight games but was held in check by a tough Sparks’ defense. After scoring 11 points in the first quarter, Moore was held to just two points through the final three quarters, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Guard Lindsay Whalen added 13 points of her own on 6-of-10 shooting (60 percent) in the loss.

KEY MATCHUP: SYLVIA FOWLES VS. JANTEL LAVENDER

Sparks center Jantel Lavender has been a Lynx killer all season long. No matter what Minnesota has done this season, they have been unable to shut Lavender down.

In three games against the Lynx this season, Lavender has averaged 13.6 points and 12 rebounds and, aside from forward Candace Parker, has been the most consistent player against the Lynx all season long.  In her last game against Minnesota, Lavender dropped 14 points and 13 rebounds and Lynx center Sylvia Fowles struggled defensively.

After being acquired from the Chicago Sky, Fowles has been lock-down defensively and efficient offensively, averaging 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and one steal and one block per game. Despite her struggles the last two games, Fowles is still a two-time defensive player of the year and can shut down any player on any given night; something she’ll be asked to do tonight against Lavender. If Fowles can play well, especially on the defensive end, and help the Lynx control the paint, she will give the Lynx a great chance to win tonight.

Both these centers have played well this season and it will be exciting to see which of these players can step their game up and lead their team to a victory.

PROJECTED STARTERS

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

Sparks: PG – Tolliver, SG – Beard, SF – Ogwumike, PF – Parker, C – Lavender