Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate |@alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (12-3) vs. Connecticut Sun (7-7) | 12:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: No TV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

Oh how quickly things can change in the WNBA.

At one point this season, the Connecticut Sun were seated strongly in first place in the Eastern Conference after winning their seventh straight game and no team wanted to play them. Talk of playoffs swirled around them (yes, that early in the season) and suddenly the Eastern Conference belonged to Connecticut. Not so fast though.

The Sun have lost six-straight games and are in jeopardy of sinking below .500 and into last place in the Eastern Conference and now must face arguably the league’s best team in the Minnesota Lynx.

The Lynx, winners of four-straight and holders of the best record in the WNBA at 12-3, have continued to find ways to win games, despite the loss of All-Star guard Seimone Augustus. Forward Maya Moore has once again been a huge component of Minnesota’s winning ways.

Moore spent Sunday afternoon in Tulsa rewriting the franchise record books.

Moore scored 30 of her season-high 32 points in the second half against the Tulsa Shock; a new franchise record for points in a half. With the 32 point performance, Moore also tied her franchise record of consecutive 20+ point scoring games at seven.

“Our game plan is always the same,” Moore said Sunday after the Lynx defeated the Shock. “I think over the last week or two we have tried to be more intentional about being aggressive in transition and moving the ball and getting a lot of good flow. Anna Cruz does a great job of swinging the ball. Lindsay Whalen can find me at times and you know, sometimes just seeing the ball go in will get the confidence and momentum going, and in the second half, my teammates continued to find me.”

If Maya Moore is Batman, then center Asjha Jones has been her Robin of late.

In her last two games, Jones has averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists and has played great defensively, shutting down excellent post-players for both the Chicago Sky and the Tulsa Shock. Jones will be tested again this afternoon when she matches-up with Sun center Kelsey Bone.

Bone enters today’s game averaging 15.4 points and 6.3 rebounds, including a 24 point, six rebound performance on Sunday against the Mystics.

If Connecticut hopes to end their dreadful losing streak, Bone, as well as guard Alex Bentley, will need to score early and often; a task easier said than done when facing an extremely tough Lynx defense.

LAST MEETING

These two teams last met just over a week ago in Connecticut, and let’s just say, it was a good game.

Maya Moore and Seimone Augustus were in All-Star form that night as they led the Lynx to a 85-79 victory over the Sun.

Minnesota did have a solid lead in the third quarter, at one point even getting it as large as 14 points, but the Sun came out in the fourth quarter determined to make it a game; they proceeded to open the quarter on a 9-0 run to take the lead 63-62. That was when Minnesota’s All-Stars took over.

Moore and Augustus combined to score 14 straight points for the Lynx and they retook the lead at 76-72, and they never looked back from there, going on to win 85-79.

Sun guard Alex Bentley had 22 points, including four 3-pointers, and center Kelsey Bone pitched in 13 points and eight rebounds.

Moore finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Augustus finished with 21 points and five assists.

KEY MATCHUP: LYNX BACKCOURT VS. SUN BACKCOURT

The Lynx have been bitten by the injury bug, fortunately it comes at kind of a good time with the All-Star Break right around the corner, players will get some time off to heal. Unfortunately, the Lynx will have to play today’s game without two of their most important guards.

Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen will both miss today’s game due to injuries, leaving the Lynx backcourt looking a little thin. Now Lynx Head Coach Cheryl Reeve did not rule out Whalen entirely, but did say it was very unlikely that she plays. For that reason alone, we will assume she can’t go and the Lynx will be forced to play without her.

Guard Anna Cruz has played well of late and bench guard Jen O’Neill has shown flashes of greatness in the minutes she has received this season, but aside from that, the proverbial cupboard is bare.

It looks as though the Lynx might be relying on newly-acquired guard Renee Montgomery to give them quality minutes and provide some sort of a spark either offensively or defensively.

And the Lynx are going to need a spark, especially against a backcourt like Connecticut’s.

Sun guard Alex Bentley has been solid scoring lately, dropping 15 and 18 points in her last two games, respectively. Although the Sun have been slumping and there hasn’t been much to cheer about in Connecticut, Bentley has continued to shine (some might even say like the sun *pun intended*). Bentley is leading the Sun, averaging 17.1 points per game.

Guard Jasmine Thomas has also looked great at times this season, but can’t remain consistent and has also struggled quite a bit as well. Thomas is averaging 7.6 points to go with 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists, so she can be dangerous in all aspects of her game, but the inconsistencies have been her downfall thus far.

Whichever backcourt can step up and give their team a little bit extra, will send their team off to the All-Star Break as winners.

PROJECTED STARTERS:

Lynx: PG – Cruz, SG – Liston, SF – Moore, PF – Brunson, C – Jones

Sun: PG – Bentley, SG – J. Thomas, SF – Little, PF – A. Thomas, C – Bone