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Monarchs-Lynx Preview

Jul 1, 2009 - 5:09 PM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Sacramento (1-8) at Minnesota (7-3), 8:00 p.m. EDT

With the way Candice Wiggins is playing, the Minnesota Lynx hardly miss leading scorer and two-time All-Star Seimone Augustus.

Wiggins looks to lead the Lynx to a season-high fourth straight victory Thursday night when they host the slumping Sacramento Monarchs, who are trying to avoid their first seven-game losing streak in seven years.

When Augustus suffered a season-ending left knee injury during a 104-80 loss to Phoenix on June 17, Minnesota's playoff hopes appeared bleak. The Lynx (7-3) lost to Seattle 90-62 two days later, but Wiggins has since helped rally the team to three straight victories.

Wiggins scored 23 points in Tuesday's 91-85 victory over Atlanta, and is averaging 23.3 on 44.4 percent shooting during the winning streak. Wiggins, who was named the Western Conference player of the week Monday, had averaged 10.2 points and shot 32.2 percent in her previous six games.

"She's always had it in her," Minnesota coach Jennifer Gillom said. "When Seimone was in, Candice would take the back role. But now she's really stepping out to the plate and showing how good she really is."

Roneeka Hodges is also helping to fill the void left by Augustus.

Hodges had 15 points - all on 5-for-7 3-point shooting - Tuesday, and is averaging 12.8 points in her last five games after going scoreless in her previous two.

"She's at a confidence level that is unbelievable right now," Gillom said. "It is not going to slack off. I think it is going to continue and you are going to see a lot of that this season."

While Wiggins and Hodges have been carrying the Lynx lately, neither had much success in Minnesota's 86-83 victory over Sacramento on June 16.

Wiggins shot 2 for 11 and finished with eight points, while Hodges missed both of her field-goal attempts and went held scoreless in 12 minutes. Augustus led the Lynx with 30 points.

The Monarchs (1-8) arrive in Minnesota losers of six straight after falling 74-72 in Chicago on Tuesday.

Sacramento led 67-62 with 2:41 to play, but could not close the deal. The Monarchs, who haven't won since defeating Phoenix 90-71 on June 12, haven't lost seven consecutive games since dropping eight in a row June 22-July 7, 2002.

Nicole Powell led Sacramento with 21 points against the Sky, but Ticha Penicheiro finished with only two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 23 minutes.

Penicheiro was playing in her third game and making her first start since missing the previous four contests with a sprained right thumb.

"This is only our third game with all our players back," Sacramento coach Jenny Boucek said. "They're getting in shape, they're getting their rhythm. We didn't get the victory tonight, but we're starting to look like ourselves."