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Lynx-Sun Preview

Aug 22, 2009 - 4:12 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Minnesota (11-14) at Connecticut (13-11), 7:00 p.m. EDT

The Minnesota Lynx are mired in their longest losing streak of the season but have reason to believe it can end against the Connecticut Sun.

The Lynx, whose last victory came against the Sun two weeks ago, try to avoid losing their fifth straight game Saturday night when rookie Renee Montgomery returns to Connecticut for the first time as a pro.

After getting off to a 9-5 start, very little has gone right for Minnesota (11-14), which has dropped four in a row and nine of 11.

The Lynx haven't won since defeating Connecticut 95-88 on Aug. 7, behind Montgomery's career-high 24 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

Montgomery is having a solid rookie season, averaging 8.9 points and 2.0 assists, and this will likely be an emotional homecoming.

The 5-foot-7 guard was selected fourth overall in this year's draft after helping lead Connecticut to the national championship in April. As a senior last season, she averaged 16.5 points and 5.1 assists for the Huskies, who won all of their 39 games by double digits, a first in college basketball.

Montgomery and the Lynx aren't enjoying quite the same success this season.

Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with the win over the Sun (13-12) and was hoping to carry some momentum from that victory, but that hasn't been the case.

The Lynx are coming off a lackluster 78-63 defeat to Los Angeles on Wednesday, making just 10 of 38 shots in the second half. Montgomery scored a team-high 16, but Minnesota finished with its third-fewest points all season.

Despite all their recent struggles, the Lynx are in fourth place in the Western Conference, one-half game in front of fifth-place San Antonio.

The Sun, meanwhile, are third in the East, one-half game ahead of fourth-place Washington and Chicago.

Connecticut suffered an 85-83 overtime loss to New York on Friday, its second defeat in three games.

Rookie center Sandrine Gruda had career highs with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and Anete Jekabsone finished with 10 points and made two key 3-pointers in the final minute of regulation - including the tying shot with 0.3 seconds left. Jekabsone matched her season high with 15 points against the Lynx earlier this month, while Gruda finished with 21 on 10 of 15 shooting in that game.

The Sun came back from an 11-point deficit in the second quarter at Madison Square Garden on Friday and had a five-point lead in the fourth quarter, but couldn't hold on.

"We had plenty of chances to put it away and so did they," Connecticut's Lindsay Whalen said. "That's the way basketball goes and it stings right now but we have a quick turnaround so we have to gear it up for (Minnesota)."

The Sun hope returning home, where they've won three straight and six of seven, can help them get back on track. Connecticut has also won four straight home games over the Lynx since a 68-52 loss on July 22, 2004.