WNBA Season Precap: Minnesota Lynx


Record: 21-4

Playoff Position: 2nd seed

Games Remaining: 9

PRECAPS: San Antonio Stars | Connecticut SunDallas Wings | Washington Mystics | Seattle StormPhoenix Mercury | Chicago Sky | Indiana Fever | Atlanta Dream | New York LibertyMinnesota Lynx

Pre-Break Recap

Minnesota Lynx’s Top Pre-Break Plays

The Minnesota Lynx entered the 2016 season fresh off their third title in five years, joining the Houston Comets, Detroit Shock, and Phoenix Mercury as the only franchises to ever win three titles. And with essentially the whole roster returning, they started this historic 20th season looking better than ever.

Bursting out of the gates with a 19-point victory over their rivals, the reloaded Phoenix Mercury, the Lynx reeled off 13-straight victories, setting a new WNBA record for the longest undefeated streak to start a season. Their first loss came over a month after opening night, as they finally fell on June 24 at the hands of the Los Angeles Sparks.

While that loss dovetailed into a three-game losing streak, the first for the team since 2014, the Lynx quickly got back on track. They won eight out of nine games in July, and ended the pre-Olympic portion of the season on a six-game winning streak.

As has been the case throughout the title run over the last few years, the defense has once again been the driving force behind the Lynx’s success. Their defensive rating through the first 25 games was an incredible 94.4, a full 2.5 points better than the next best team, the Sparks. It also bodes well for a possible championship rerun, as the mark is nearly identical to the 94.0 defensive rating the team put up last season.

All of that isn’t to say the offense hasn’t done its part, though. The offense has been fantastic, putting up an offensive rating of 106.6, shooting 47 percent, and handing out 20.5 assists per game, all of which rank second in the league.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with Minnesota’s scoring attack, but look at it this way: the average offensive/defensive rating in the league before the Olympic break was 102.4. The Lynx’s offense was 4.2 points per 100 possessions better than the average, but the defense was a full 8 points better than the average defense! The offense has been great, but the defense has been completely dominant.

That defense has lead them to a 21-4 pre-Olympic break record, which was good enough to already clinch a spot in the playoffs, and it will be their guide as they embark on a championship defense this fall.
Pre-Break Highlight

Renee Montgomery’s History-Preserving Triple

 

Starting the season 13-0 was a historical achievement, and that 13th win was easily the Lynx’ singular pre-break highlight. Out in Los Angeles on June 21, in front of thousands of rowdy kids, the Lynx and Sparks–both undefeated at that point–battled to the final buzzer in one of the best games of the year.

Eventually, it was Renee Montgomery who played heroine, draining a three in the corner with less than three seconds left, giving the Lynx a 72-69 victory and extending their undefeated start to 13-0.

 

3 4 Standouts*

*With four Olympians on the team, it didn’t seem fair to leave one of them out.

Maya Moore

Maya Moore’s Top Pre-Break Plays

 

Diana Taurasi’s return to the league threatened to upstage the Lynx’ title celebration, and upset the power dynamic among the league’s top players. But on opening night, Maya Moore reminded everyone why she’s arguably the face of the league, starting the 2016 campaign with a 27-point, 10-assist performance as the Lynx crushed Taurasi and the Mercury.

From there, Moore commenced on another outstanding season. She’s fourth in scoring, putting up 19.4 points per game, has been hitting the glass for 5.2 rebounds a night, and is handing out a career-best 4.4 assists a game, good for sixth in the league.

Her 40-point performance against the Connecticut Sun is the single-game high in the league this year, and the first time she’s scored 40 since 2014.

Lindsay Whalen

Lindsay Whalen’s Top Pre-Break Plays

 

In the midst of her 13th season in the league, Whalen is not quite the player she was four to five years ago, and has been playing just 24.2 points per game, the fewest of her career as Coach Cheryl Reeve seems to be saving her for the playoffs.

The decrease in minutes has lead to a decrease in Whalen’s statistics, as she’s averaging less than double figures for the first time since 2006, and is posting her lowest assist and rebounding averages of her career.

Still, Whalen is one of Minnesota’s leaders, both emotionally and on the court, where she propels their elite offense. Plus, she is having her most efficient season ever from the floor, shooting 52 percent from the field.

Seimone Augustus

Seimone Augustus’ Top Pre-Break Plays

 

Like her counterpart Whalen, Augustus has also taken a bit of a backseat as she enters her 11th WNBA season. The six-time all-star is playing just 26.1 minutes a night, and is scoring just 11 points per game, by far the lowest mark of her career.

Don’t let those numbers fool you into thinking her skills have dropped, however; she’s still more than capable of putting up big games. Her best game of the year came against the East-leading Liberty, as she dropped 20 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists.

Sylvia Fowles

Sylvia Fowles’ Top Pre-Break Plays

 

Fowles’ addition in the middle of last season was a huge boon for the Lynx, as her play was vital in claiming the 2015 title. And she’s picked up right where she left off last season, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field while averaging 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds a game. Her imposing presence extends to the defensive end as well, where she’s swatting away 1.8 shots a night, the fourth best mark in the league.

Her ability to control the paint on both ends is rare in this league, and will become even more important as the Lynx enter the postseason.

 

Post-Break Preview

With a playoff position already clinched, the Lynx’ remaining goal during the regular season will be to secure one of the top two seeds, giving them a bye to the semifinals of the postseason. While doing so, they’ll of course also want to keep their core rested and healthy for a run at their fourth championship in six years.

That shouldn’t be too much of a challenge, considering six of their remaining nine games are against teams that are under .500. Other than the September 6 matchup with the Los Angeles Sparks, a potential WNBA Finals preview, the Lynx look in prime position to coast into the postseason with one of the top two seeds.

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