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WNBA Minnesota Lynx

Lynx Weekly Update

July 13, 2004 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minnesota Lynx News Release


Home Cooking

Sunday's win was the Lynx' fourth straight at Target Center, dating back to an 83-67 loss to Los Angeles on June 27. The Lynx are 8-3 at home this season. Minnesota's eight home wins leads the WNBA this year; Los Angeles and Indiana follow the Lynx with seven home wins each. A year ago, Minnesota set a club record by going 11-6 at Target Center, the only time in franchise history they've finished above .500 at home (8-8 in both 1999 and 2000). After Wednesday's home game vs. Connecticut, the Lynx finish the season by playing 10 of their last 15 games on the road.

A Look Ahead

The Lynx finish up a three-game homestand with an afternoon game against the Connecticut Sun (11-8, second place in the East) on Wednesday at noon. Minnesota split last year's set with Connecticut, and the Lynx hold a 5-3 lead in the all-time series (4-2 while the Sun franchise was based in Orlando). In both meetings last season, Katie Smith led the Lynx in scoring with a game-high 34 points on July 10 at Target Center and 20 points on July 23 at Connecticut. Tamika Williams also had a career-high-tying nine defensive rebounds in the July 10 contest (12 total rebounds). The Lynx have won the last three Target Center meetings, since losing an 83-80 OT decision on August 20, 1999.

Immediately following Wednesday's afternoon game, the team travels to New York to take on the Liberty for their second of four back-to-back sets this season. The Lynx are 0-1 against the Liberty this season, losing 64-68 to New York on May 30 at Target CenterThe Liberty lead the all-time series by a 5-3 count, having also won last year's only meeting (70-60 on June 6 at Target Center). Six of the eight games have been decided by six points or less. Minnesota is 2-1 all-time in New York.

Minnesota returns to America West Arena on Sunday to face the Phoenix Mercury for the final time this season. With each team winning on their home court, the Lynx are 2-1 against Phoenix this season and 10-10 all-time vs. the club. In the two teams' last meeting on July 9 at Target Center, Phoenix led by 20 points (55-35) with under seven minutes remaining in the game, but was outscored 26-4 by the Lynx after that point in a 61-59 Minnesota win. That's the biggest regular-season deficit Minnesota has ever overcome, surpassing a 16-point comeback at Orlando on July 7, 1999. Minnesota received a season-high point total from its non-starters, outscoring the Mercury by a 30-4 count off the bench. Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert had nine points while Amanda Lassiter and Amber Jacobs chipped in eight apiece; all 25 of those points came in the second half.

Katie's Corner

In the past week, Katie Smith led the team in scoring in all three games; she's done so in five straight contests and 14 of 18 on the season. Smith held Tamika Catchings to 3-for-10 shooting July 8 at Indiana, then helped limit Diana Taurasi to 4-for-17 in Minnesota's July 9 win over Phoenix. Smith also sank the game-tying three-pointer with :14.8 left at Indiana, before the Fever won on a pair of free throws with :01.3 remaining. Smith poured in a season-high 34 points July 11 vs. Sacramento, including 20 in the first half. Her scoring effort on Sunday is the second-highest single-game total in the WNBA this season, and the 11th 30-point night of her career; only Cynthia Cooper (16) has scored 30+ more often in WNBA history. The 34 points also matches her own Target Center single-game scoring record and her six three-pointers tie a league single-game best for 2004. After Sunday night's game, Monarchs head coach John Whisenant said, "Katie Smith showed why she is an All-Star, Olympian and one of the best players in the league tonight."

Injury Update

Injury Update After Vanessa Hayden tallied nine points and a game-high seven boards in 20 minutes in Sunday's game vs. the Monarchs, she left the game with a head injury with 9:53 remaininin the game. Her CAT Scan was clear and after an evaluation Monday afternoon, Lynx head trainer Alisha Hvistendahl said Hayden is day-to-day with a mild concussion. Pending clearance from team doctors, Hayden is listed as probable for Wednesday's game vs. Connecticut.

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