Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | Twitter 

Minnesota Lynx (7-2) vs. Seattle Storm (3-7) | 7:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: No TV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

Winning streaks are a lot of fun. The longer they extend, the more fun they become.

Tonight, the Minnesota Lynx will look to extend two separate winning streaks.

With a win against the conference-foe Seattle Storm, the Lynx will extend their current winning streak to three games, as well as extend their winning streak against Seattle to five straight games (the Lynx have not lost to Seattle in over a year now).

The Lynx are riding high after registering a dominant defensive performance last Saturday night against the defending-champion Phoenix Mercury in which they held Phoenix to just 19-of-57 (33 percent) shooting. The Lynx also forced 20 turnovers and blocked 10 Mercury shots.

After such a dominant defensive game against Phoenix, the Lynx will look to repeat such a performance by shutting down a streaking Storm team.

The Storm were streaking in the wrong direction, however ended such on Tuesday night.

Seattle was suffering through a five-game losing streak entering Tuesday night’s game against the Tulsa Shock. Many expected the Western Conference-leading Shock to win, but the Storm shocked the Shock (pun intended) and came out victorious 74-69.

Despite being without two of their best players (Skylar Diggins and Odyssey Sims), the Shock kept the game close until Storm guard Sue Bird converted a 3-point play with just under three minutes to go, pushing the lead to 69-65. The Shock never recovered.

Seattle held the Shock to just 23-of-65 shooting (35 percent) while shooting 29-of-62 (46 percent) themselves.

The Storm will have to play just as well, if not better, on both ends of the floor if they hope to beat the Lynx tonight. However, if the Lynx have a defensive showing like they did last Saturday night, it might be difficult for any team in the league to beat them.

LAST MEETING

The Lynx and the Storm last met a little over a week ago at the KeyArena in Seattle, and for the first-half of the game, the Storm looked dominant.

The Storm came out shooting and sank the Lynx into an early 18 point hole. The game was looking bleak.

Lynx veterans did not panic though, and they came out in the second half ready to cut into that Seattle lead; that they did.

The Lynx outscored Seattle 34-22 in the second half, including a whopping 22-11 in the fourth quarter to give the Lynx their largest comeback victory in franchise history on the road, the third largest comeback victory in the history of the team and, most importantly, earning what Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve called a “signature win,” winning 76-73.

Lynx guard Seimone Augustus led the way, scoring 24 points while teammate, guard Lindsay Whalen, added 16 points of her own as well as six assists.

Guard Jenna O’Hea led Seattle, scoring 17 points while grabbing two rebounds and dishing two assists in the loss.

MATCHUP OF THE GAME: LINDSAY WHALEN VS. SUE BIRD

Veteran players make veteran plays; never is this statement more prevalent than when Lynx guard Lindsay Whalen and Storm guard Sue Bird are on the floor together.

Whalen, a five-time All-Star and two-time champion, has been spectacular recently, so much so that the WNBA named her Western Conference Player of the Week last week. Last week Whalen played two games and averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 assists.

Bird, an eight-time All-Star and two-time champion, has been spectacular as well.

Bird is averaging 10.1 points (2nd on the team) and a team-leading 5.4 assists.

In their last game against one another, Whalen dropped 16 points and six assists while leading her team to the third-largest comeback victory in WNBA history. Bird scored 16 points in that game as well, while also adding five assists and four rebounds.

If these two veteran guards can lead their teams and put on respective performances like in their previous meeting, then both Seattle and Minnesota fans are going to be in for a show.

PROJECTED STARTERS

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

Storm: PG – Bird, SG – O’Hea, SF – Clark, PF – Bishop, C – Langhorne

QUICK HITS

• Lynx guard Anna Cruz, acquired from the New York Liberty for a slew of draft picks, will join the team today after missing the team’s first nine games to play for the Spanish National Team in their Olympic Qualifier. Cruz will attend tonight’s game against Seattle but will not dress.