Lynx Mystified
August 8, 2013

The Minnesota Lynx this year have won 17 games and lost four, the four losses having come at the hands of two opponents, the Los Angeles Sparks and the Washington Mystics. The losses to the Sparks are understandable, both coming in Los Angeles to a second-place team. More difficult to comprehend are Minnesota’s troubles with Washington a mediocre Eastern Division team.

The Lynx dug themselves a hole against the Mystics at Target Center on August 8, one out of which they were never to climb. Outscored in the first two quarters, Minnesota’s strong third quarter was matched by the Mystics’ effort. A Lindsay Whalen layup basket early on in the fourth quarter gave Minnesota a 62-61 lead that quickly evaporated on baskets by Matee Ajavon, Monique Currie, and Crystal Langhorne. It was Washington’s Ivory Latta, however, who scored early and often in the game and set the tone for the winners. Latta had 19 points in the first half and finished with 24. She started the game by making her first seven shots, including four three-pointers.

The Lynx didn’t have the services of center Janel McCarville, out with a concussion. Missing her rebound ability, the Lynx were outrebounded by their opponents 44-24. McCarville was observed lurking near her team’s bench wearing street clothes that that made her resemble a mob hitman.

“Not only did we lose the game,” coach Cheryl Reeve told reporters, “we got destroyed on the glass.”

Reeve also was perturbed that the Lynx took too many “hard, contested shots. [Washington] flooded the paint on our drives and challenged our shots. They were ready for us.”

The coach maintained that she had “players capable of stepping up, but they laid an egg instead.”

A key moment occurred just when Minnesota seemed poised to take over, but Whalen turned the ball over, leading to six straight points for the Mystics. Whalen finished with 19 points and five turnovers. “Too many of our players tried to play hero-ball,” Reeve observed.

The coach started Amber Harris in place of McCarville, and her presence was not noticed. The invisible Harris went scoreless in 11 minutes of play. “Our bigs are paid to go out and get the ball,” Reeve mumbled when questioned about the team’s 12-7 first-quarter rebounding deficit.

Maya Moore led the Lynx with 24 points, including four 3-point baskets. Seimone Augustus added 19 points. It was the ninth game in which Moore had scored more than 20 points.

Minnesota’s home winning streak ended at 18 games.

“We didn’t play Lynx basketball,” said Reeve, echoing the remark made by coach Brian Agler after Minnesota lost their inaugural game in 1999. Then. no one knew what Agler meant. Under Reeve, we know that “Lynx basketball” usually results in wins.