WNBA Minnesota Lynx

Minnesota Lynx Daily

Published on May 8, 2008 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
Minnesota Lynx News Release


LYNX TO HOST OPEN PRACTICE, MEET AND GREET WITH FANS- SATURDAY, MAY 10

The Lynx will hold an open practice on Saturday, May 10 from 2-5 p.m. at Target Center. Players and coaches will host a post-practice Q&A session and sign autographs. Prior to practice, the players will also conduct a meet-and-greet with the West Side Booster Club, a middle school girls basketball traveling team. The event will be from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. Members of the Lynx staff will also be out in the community on Sunday, May 11, appearing at the Susan G, Komen Race 4 The Cure from 8:30 a.m. - 12.p.m. at the Mall of America. The Lynx will also have a booth at the Health Expo from 7-10 a.m.

LYNX FINAL PRESEASON GAME

LYNX AT LOS ANGELES SPARKS- 2:00 P.M.- BETTY ENGELSTAD CENTER, GRAND FORKS, ND

Minnesota will look to cap a perfect preseason this Sunday when they travel to Grand Forks, ND to take on Lisa Leslie, number one overall draft pick Candice Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks on Mother's Day, May 11. The Lynx opened up the 2008 preseason schedule 2-0, defeating the Connecticut Sun and Indiana Fever. Minnesota is led in scoring by second-year guard Navonda Moore at 10.0 ppg, including a game-high 16 points Wednesday night in Indiana. Rookies Nicky Anosike and Charde Houston average 9.5 ppg and 9.0 ppg respectively. Fellow rookie Candice Wiggins tallied 18 points in Minnesota's first preseason game before sitting out Wednesday's contest. Anosike leads the Lynx in rebounding, averaging 8.0 rpg. Free-agent signee Alvine Mendeng heads the pack of Lynx in assists, averaging 3.0 apg, including a game-high five assists in Indiana. The Sparks hope to bounce back from a 2007 season in which they finished 10-24, pitting them in a tie with the Lynx for last place in the WNBA's Western Conference. Lisa Leslie returns to the Sparks this season after sitting out the 2007 WNBA season due to her pregnancy. Los Angeles also welcomes the number one overall draft pick in this year's WNBA draft Candice Parker. In their first preseason game, Los Angeles defeated the expansion Atlanta Dream 86-80 in Atlanta. Leslie led the Sparks with 18 points and Parker added 14 in her WNBA debut. The two teams split four meetings last season, each team winning both games on their respective home floors. Seimone Augustus paced Minnesota's efforts, leading the Lynx in scoring versus L.A. last season, averaging 22.8 ppg. In the teams' lone prior preseason match up, the Lynx defeated the Sparks 63-55 last year in Baton Rouge, LA. The Lynx open the 2008 regular season schedule May 18 when they play host to the Detroit Shock at Target Center.

LYNX TO MAKE FOUR COMMUNITY APPEARANCES MONDAY, MAY 12

In addition to media day, members of the Minnesota Lynx will also be performing a massive community outreach on Monday, May 12 as part of the "10 Days of May-hem". Included on the list of events are visits to Gillete Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and CommonBond Communities. The Lynx will also host a Basketball Court Dedication at University Avenue Elementary in Blaine, MN from 2-3 p.m.

WEDNESDAY'S LYNX GAME

LYNX DEFENSE DOES IT AGAIN

LYNX 78, FEVER 64

On Wednesday, the Lynx took their defensive show on the road and forced 29 turnovers with 18 steals, 12 turnovers and eight steals coming in the third quarter alone as they rallied from an eight-point second-quarter deficit to run away with a 78-64 victory over the Indiana Fever at Conseco Fieldhouse. The Lynx improved to 2-0 in the 2008 preseason with the win and 15-13 all time in preseason games. Leading the way for the Lynx was guard Navonda Moore. The former Alabama standout was an undrafted rookie when she joined the Lynx in 2007. Against the Fever, she served as Minnesota's starting shooting guard and took advantage of the starting opportunity. In fact, she played her best game since joining the Lynx. She finished the game with 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, three steals and a blocked shot in 22 minutes of action. The Lynx 2008 draft picks followed Moore's lead. Nicky Anosike started and put in another solid performance. She finished with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. Charde Houston came off the bench and added 10 points on 5-of-11 shooting and four rebounds. Shay Murphy scored seven of her nine points in the first quarter to help kick things off for the Lynx. But the Fever stormed back in the second quarter, outscoring the Lynx 20-11 in the quarter on 8-for-12 shooting. The Lynx turned the ball over 10 times in the second quarter alone, which accounted for nine Fever points. They also made only four of their 12 shots. The one area that allowed the Lynx to keep the game under control was under the glass. They out-rebounded the Fever 9-2 in the quarter, including 6-0 on the offensive boards. The Lynx turned the heat up in the third quarter to regain control of the game. Anosike and Houston each scored six points, while Moore added five, in a quarter that saw eight Lynx players score. By the time the quarter was over, the Lynx outscored the Fever 28-12 to open up a 58-48 lead, thanks in large part to a 21-4 run over a 5:08 span in the opening minutes of the quarter. The Lynx pushed the lead as high as 17 points (74-57) late in the fourth quarter before settling in on the final score.

LYNX UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Date

Opponent

Location

Time (CST)

Radio

TV

Sunday, May 11

L.A. Sparks

Betty Englestad Center, Grand Forks, ND

2:00 PM

BOB FM 106

None

* Sunday, May 18

Detroit Shock

Target Center

5:00 PM

BOB FM 106

FSN

Tuesday, May 27

Houston Comets

Toyota Center

7:30 PM

BOB FM 106

None

Thursday, May 29

Chicago Sky

UIC Pavilion

7:00 PM

BOB FM 106

None

Saturday, May 31

Phoenix Mercury

Target Center

7:00 PM

BOB FM 106

None

* Denotes the start of regular season play.

LYNX TICKET INFO

Tickets for the May 18 home opener vs. Detroit can be purchased online at www.lynxbasketball.com or by calling 612-673-8400 or at the Target Center Box Office.

Check out the Minnesota Lynx Statistics

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