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Lynx-Mercury Preview

Jun 9, 2010 - 6:59 PM By KATE HEDLIN STATS Writer

Minnesota (2-7) at Phoenix (3-5), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Phoenix Mercury suffered a heartbreaking loss in their last game as the defending WNBA champions struggled against in another matchup with one of the league's weaker teams.

They'll face another challenge Thursday night when they host the Minnesota Lynx, who expect to have All-Star Seimone Augustus in the lineup for the first time since she tore her ACL last year.

The Mercury (3-5) are 4 1/2 games behind conference-leading Seattle, due in part to their inability to take advantage of two lesser opponents this month.

Phoenix, which lost 92-82 to Minnesota (2-7) last Tuesday, fell 92-91 to Los Angeles on Tuesday for its second straight defeat. Candace Parker made a layup with 3.4 seconds remaining to give her team its second win.

The Mercury allowed Parker to score 22 points, and they could face another tough matchup in Augustus. The fifth-year guard is set to make her season debut after suffering a season-ending knee injury June 17 against Phoenix.

"I just want to have fun and win while enjoying basketball again and enjoying being out there with my teammates," she told Minnesota's official website.

The last-place Lynx (2-7) need Augustus, who has averaged 21.2 points in her career, to boost their offense. Minnesota is scoring 74.8 points per game - second-lowest in the WNBA - and shooting a league-worst 37.7 percent.

"Obviously we've had problems putting the ball in the hole," coach Cheryl Reeve said. "We're looking to improve those things and having our best player on the court would really help in those areas."

While the team didn't announce how much Augustus will play, she only returned to full practice Tuesday. Besides ACL surgery, she also underwent abdominal surgery in May.

The Lynx didn't need Augustus in a 92-82 home win over the Mercury on June 1, as Monica Wright scored a career-high 32 points.

Minnesota, however, could have used Augustus in an 89-51 loss to Indiana on Sunday. The Lynx were held to a franchise-low 12 field goals and eight points in the fourth quarter - a team record for that period.

Minnesota played without Lindsay Whalen, who sat out with an undisclosed illness. It's uncertain if she'll be back in the lineup Thursday. The guard averages 11.5 points and a team-high 4.3 assists.

While the Lynx have been struggling to score, the combination of Augustus' return plus a matchup with the league's worst defensive team could help. The Mercury are allowing 88.4 points per game and gave up at least 92 in four of the last five games.