Lynx on a Roll
May 31, 2008
Vanessa Hayden-Johnson’s layup basket with 1:18 remaining in the first quarter at Target Center gave Minnesota an 18-17 lead over defending WNBA champ Phoenix, a lead that the Lynx didn’t relinquish throughout the remainder of what ultimately became a 94-83 victory.
The Lynx have started the season with four wins and no losses, a feat never before attained in the 10-year history of the franchise. This is in stark contrast to last season when Minnesota dropped its first seven games. But, then, this is not the same team as last year’s. Of the 11 players activated for the Phoenix game, only four – Seimone Augustus, Nicole Ohlde, Noelle Quinn, and Navonda Moore – were on the 2007 roster. Newcomers in 2008 are rookies Candice Wiggins, Nicky Anosike, Charde Houston, and Sharnee Zoll, plus veterans Anna DeForge, Kristen Rasmussen, and Hayden-Johnson.
To be fair, this year’s edition of the Phoenix Mercury is not the same either. Phoenix has now lost its first four games and is missing Australian Penny Taylor, who averaged 17.8 points per game last season. Also gone from the bench is crafty old coach Paul Westhead, architect of the Mercury’s high-octane offense. That said, Phoenix still has plenty of fire power led by Olympians Cappy Pondexter and Diana Taurasi.
Pondexter, in particular, was a thorn in the Lynx side all night, hitting for 31 points and keeping Phoenix within striking distance all evening. Taurasi, however, was less effective. “Anna DeForge worked hard defending Taurasi,” said Lynx coach Don Zierden after the game. “Those are things that don’t show up in the game statistics.” Minnesota signed DeForge as a free agent on February 19. She has been in the league since 2000 and spent three years with the Phoenix team.
As usual, the Minnesota offense was led by the Lynx’s Olympian, Augustus, who scored seven field goals and eight free throws for 22 points. Augustus was followed by rookies Houston with 18 points and Wiggins with 17. Both started the game on the bench.
Wiggins, an All-American when playing at Stanford, was flawless at point guard, dishing out a dozen assists, tops for both teams. Although she didn’t start, Wiggins wound up with nearly 31 minutes of floor time.
“We like what we are building here,” Zierden said. “It’s fun to watch these guys compete.”
The Lynx led at halftime by 44-36, but allowed Phoenix to come within 57-56 in the third quarter before Wiggins was fouled and hit a pair of free throws for a three-point lead. “It’s nice for us to get to the free throw line now,” Zierden observed, intimating that last year, referees were more likely to make calls against the Lynx than their opponents. Against the Mercury, Minnesota had 40 free throw attempts, twice the amount of Phoenix. The Lynx shot 82.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Zierden also praised Houston, who pulled down 13 rebounds in 27 minutes of play. “Her getting to the boards gave us a huge lift,” said Zierden.
The announced crowd of 6,914 bestowed upon the home team several standing ovations, possibly a portent of things to come as the word gets out that this team is for real.