Aug 29, 2009 - 3:06 PM
0 shoutsBy MIKE LIPKA STATS Writer
Minnesota (12-16) at Washington (13-15), 4:00 p.m. EDT
A return home helped the Minnesota Lynx finally come up with a victory in their most recent game and end a frustrating slide.
The Washington Mystics hope to follow the same formula Sunday as two struggling teams try to hang onto playoff spots in their respective conferences.
An 0-4 road trip extended Minnesota's losing streak to six before the Lynx (12-16) beat Sacramento 100-95 on Friday night, enabling the team to hold its ground in the Western Conference.
The Lynx are in fourth place, with a slim lead on San Antonio for the final postseason spot as they try to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
They needed a historic shooting display to win Friday, making 16 3-pointers - a league record for a regulation game. Minnesota shot 57.1 percent from long range, led by Kelly Miller's 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc as part of her team-high 18 points.
The Lynx won despite allowing the league-worst Monarchs to shoot 54.5 percent from the field. Minnesota's opponents are shooting 45.8 percent for the season, the WNBA's highest mark.
"These girls love points, it's not about defense," Minnesota coach Jen Gillom said. "We have to outscore people."
It may be good news for Minnesota that the Mystics (13-15) are having trouble scoring. They shot 36.7 percent in a 78-68 loss at Seattle on Tuesday after an 82-60 defeat to Sacramento on Aug. 22.
Washington finished its road trip at 1-3 and has now lost six of eight overall, falling out of playoff position in the East. The Mystics are still in a tight pack of teams jockeying for the final few spots.
"Our team is a team that bounces back," Mystics head coach Julie Plank said. "I think they're fighters. They generally want to win and do the right thing. It's just a matter of getting that consistency and getting that group together and building that championship mentality."
Guard Alana Beard will especially need to recover from a pair of uncharacteristically poor games. Beard leads the team with 16.7 points per game but has averaged 4.5 points in the last two contests, hitting 3 of 16 from the field in that stretch.
Beard also had a tough shooting night in the Mystics' 96-94 overtime loss at Minnesota on July 7, making 4 of 13 shots and scoring 14 points.
Washington nearly pulled off the road win thanks in part to a season-high 27 points from Lindsey Harding, who was playing her first game against the Lynx since being traded to the Mystics in January. Harding, however, missed a free throw that could have tied the game with one second left in overtime.
From the Bleachers
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MINNESOTA: 75
WASHINGTON: 81
Final
Aug 30 6:32 PM -
MINNESOTA: 19
WASHINGTON: 16
End of 1st
Aug 30 4:31 PM
