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Lynx-Silver Stars Preview

Aug 31, 2009 - 4:55 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Minnesota (12-17) at San Antonio (12-17), 8:00 p.m. EDT

The San Antonio Silver Stars need to win their five remaining regular-season games to finish with a .500 record.

Facing a Minnesota Lynx team that's lost 12 of 15 could be a good first step toward achieving that goal.

The host Silver Stars look to break a fourth-place tie with the Lynx in the Western Conference on Tuesday night when the clubs meet for the final time this season.

In a rematch of last season's WNBA finals, San Antonio (12-17) snapped its four-game skid Saturday with a 100-88 overtime victory over defending champion Detroit.

"It was a good team win," coach Dan Hughes said. "We really haven't accomplished anything other than the fact that we broke the losing streak. Now we got to go play again as we have a lot of work to do."

All-Star guard Becky Hammon rebounded from a scoreless effort in Thursday's 77-66 loss at East-leading Indiana to score 12 of her 32 in the extra period. She also joined Silver Stars guard Vickie Johnson as the only players in league history with 4,000 points and 1,000 assists.

"The shots went down today," said Hammon, averaging 22.3 points and 5.3 assists as San Antonio has won two of three against Minnesota this season. "Sophia (Young), Ann (Wauters), and Ruth (Riley) played great minutes, as it came down to timely buckets, and we had some big ones tonight."

Young matched a season high with 31 points, including a tying 14-footer with 2 seconds remaining in regulation.

Wauters, who hit the winning shot at the buzzer in an 89-87 victory at Minnesota on Aug. 9, posted her second straight double-double Saturday with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota (12-17), trying to advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2004, fell into a tie with San Antonio following Sunday's 81-75 loss at Washington.

The Lynx led the Mystics by four at halftime but were outscored 33-16 in the third quarter.

"In the first half we did a lot of great things," forward Charde Houston said after scoring 20. "In the third quarter, we came out flat and they took advantage of that. They came out with more intensity and they wanted every possession."

The Lynx have dropped 12 of 15 since an 83-76 win at San Antonio on July 12. Houston scored a career-high 26 in that victory.