Minnesota Wins Big
June 24, 2008

Stung by remarks made earlier by a former Gophers player, the Minnesota Lynx raced to a convincing 91-69 victory over the New York Liberty at Target Center.

The Liberty had beaten Minnesota six straight times dating back to the Lynx 64-60 win over New York on July 15, 2006. And Tuesday’s home win for Minnesota marked the Lynx first win over New York at Target Center since Minnesota’s 60-58 victory on July 17, 1999.

Janel McCarville, the Liberty’s beefy 6-4 center from Stevens Point, Wis., supplied the Lynx with bulletin board material when she told Jackie Friedman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that she no longer had a place for Minnesota in her heart since the Lynx passed over her in the WNBA dispersal draft of the Charlotte franchise. The Charlotte Sting drafted McCarville No. 1, then went belly-up following the 2006. New York, not Minnesota, selected McCarville in the draft.

McCarville averaged 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 58 percent over her four-year college career as a Minnesota Golden Gopher. She ranks second in Big 10 history with 1,217 career rebounds. As a senior, she recorded 16 double-doubles for a career total of 49. She is the only Minnesota player to have competed in four consecutive NCAA tournaments. As a junior, McCarville helped the Gophers to advance to the Final Four.

McCarville felt that the Lynx missed the boat by not taking her in the Charlotte dispersal draft, despite the fact that she averaged less than five points per game in 2006. “Once they [the Lynx] passed on me, that was basically it,” she told Friedman. “The heck with that. You obviously didn’t want me.”

After the game, Lynx star Seimone Augustus revealed that McCarville’s disdain for Minnesota motivated the team into holding her to a two-for-seven shooting night, seven rebounds, no assists, and no free throw attempts. McCarville looked slow and anchored to the floor, with all the mobility of the Statue of Liberty.

As for the Lynx, the victory snapped an embarrassing five-game losing streak. Bolstered by rookies Candice Wiggins, Charde Houston, and Nicky Anosike plus newcomers Anna DeForge and Kristen Rasmussen, Minnesota started off the season like a house afire with five straight wins, then stumbled to a 6-6 record (tied for fourth in the seven-team WNBA West). A combination of poor shooting, lack of cohesion, and questionable coaching led to the Lynx downfall. At home, against Houston on June 21, Minnesota recorded an abysmal 28 percent field goal percentage in a 72-65 loss.

Against New York, the Lynx shot 51 percent from the field, led by Nicole Ohlde who was seven for eight on two-point field goal attempts. DeForge shot an even 50 percent from the field, including two for three from three-point range.

Minnesota was surprisingly effective in running the break against the Liberty. However, the team appeared bewildered when it came to setting plays when not on the run. Still, the athletic ability of the Lynx newcomers tended overcome the lack of coordinated offensive sets.

Augustus led all scorers with 21 points, despite some awkward moments as her attempts to carry the team all by herself were not always successful. Shameka Criston led New York scorers with 20 points.

For the Lynx, Wiggins (a non-starter) had 15 points, followed by Ohlde with 14 and DeForge with 13.