• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Brunson scores 24 as Lynx beat Silver Stars 89-66

Jul 9, 2010 - 5:57 AM MINNEAPOLIS(AP) -- Rebekkah Brunson was already having a good week, but things got even better for her and the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night.

Two days after being named to the WNBA All-Star team, Brunson had 24 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Lynx to an 89-66 win over the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Seimone Augustus and Monica Wright each added 15 points as Minnesota (6-11) snapped a two-game losing streak in the opener of a six-game homestand.

"We had energy all over the place - on the court, on the bench - and we worked on everything we needed to do," said Brunson. "We were playing as hard as we can play and doing all the little things we need to do. That definitely threw them off a bit."

Roneeka Hodges scored 15 points for San Antonio (6-10), which has lost three of four.

Sophia Young and Becky Hammon, each averaging just over 15 points a game for the Silver Stars, combined to shoot 3 for 21 from the field. Young hit six free throws to help her finish with 10 points, while Hammon missed all six of her three-point attempts and had only four points.

Silver Stars coach Sandy Brondello said it was worth noting that the Lynx were playing for the first time in a week, while her team had played two days ago.

"Credit to the Lynx. They came out a hungry team, and we came out a tired team," Brondello said, after Minnesota avenged a 14-point road loss to the Stars on June 26. "They were hitting the boards, getting second chance points and really moving the ball, and we weren't doing that. So we fell in a hole early."

The Lynx led by as many as eight in the first quarter and opened up a 42-32 lead by halftime.

"We set the tone from the beginning," said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. "That starting group was really active. We got some good deflections and we helped each other really well to execute the game plan."

Hodges, who played for Minnesota last season, kept the Silver Stars in the game with 13 points in the opening 20 minutes.

"I think this game gave me a little more confidence, seeing the ball go through the net," Hodges said. "As a shooter it makes you feel good. On the downside, we didn't get the victory, so it doesn't mean so much."

Minnesota was playing at home for the first time in nearly three weeks.