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Lynx-Storm Preview

May 18, 2010 - 8:30 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Minnesota (1-1) at Seattle (1-0), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Lauren Jackson couldn't have asked for a better season debut with the Seattle Storm. Now she'll try to lead her team to a seventh straight home win over the Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday night.

In her first WNBA game since Aug. 29, Jackson scored 17 of her 23 points in the first half of Seattle's season-opening 81-67 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday.

Jackson's ability to stay healthy will likely be the biggest factor in whether Seattle can make another run at the league title. She missed the final six games of the 2009 regular season and all of a first-round playoff loss to the Sparks with stress fractures in her back.

Looking healthy and refreshed Sunday, Jackson matched up with Sparks star Candace Parker and helped limit her to 10 points.

"Lauren Jackson's defense tonight was unbelievable," coach Brian Agler said. "Lauren really did a great job and I told her that afterward."

The Storm held opponents to a league-low 72.8 points per game last season and picked up where they left off Sunday, limiting the Sparks to nine fourth-quarter points. That performance on the defensive end made up for the fact that Seattle shot 33.8 percent from the field.

The Lynx (1-1) averaged 69.5 points against Seattle last season, losing three of the four meetings. Jackson averaged 24.0 points in the first two matchups but missed the next two with injuries.

Lynx offseason addition Lindsay Whalen scored 12 points in her home debut Sunday, but her new team lost 87-76 to Washington.

The Lynx brought Whalen back to Minnesota, the state where she played in college and led the Golden Gophers to the Final Four in 2004. She scored eight points in the first quarter but managed only two after halftime, finishing 4 of 11 from the floor as the Lynx blew a 15-point lead.

Whalen, who scored 10 points the night before in a win over Tulsa, said nerves weren't to blame.

"Once you get on the court you have to focus," she said. "We had a game plan and things we need to accomplish ... Unfortunately in the second quarter we just got bogged down."

Minnesota is missing stars Seimone Augustus (torn ACL) and Candice Wiggins (knee), who aren't expected back until June.

"We will get better," Whalen told the Lynx's official website. "You want to be two and zero, but you move on."

The Lynx's last win in Seattle was 86-81 in overtime in 2005.