Claire Meador
Lynx Writer
See, told you everything was going to be OK.
Although Minnesota didn't quite find its stride after an outstanding game against the Phoenix Mercury on June 1, (which included a whopping 92 points, 45.2 percent shooting and nine 3-pointers) they actually lost four in a row which was more like a slump than a stride, they've definitely found it now.
It seemed as if the Lynx were back at square one playing just like they had during their previous losing streak and things were looking pretty scary.
However, at Seimone Augustus' home debut on June 18 the Lynx made an even bigger statement game with their 78-67 victory against the Tulsa Shock in front of a fervent home crowd. You could almost hear the sighs of relief.
"For the first time this year our defense really carried us through the game," coach Cheryl Reeve said about the June 18 game. "We weren't the best on offense, and it wasn't a great shooting night for us, but I was really impressed with our defensive effort and I just thought we had people playing really hard."
Minnesota had an outstanding defensive night holding the Shock to only 22 points in the second half. And they out-rebounded Tulsa 41-36.
After the stellar defensive performance, Minnesota actually did find its stride.
The Return of Seimone
After sitting out for a year, it was almost as if everyone forgot how good Augustus really is. She quickly reminded them during her season debut on June 18 against the Tulsa Shock. Scoring 27 points and draining five 3-pointers she helped the Lynx soar past the Shock. Since that game she has made a tremendous impact helping Minnesota accomplish a three-game winning streak and she's not looking back.
She was named the Western Conference Player of the Week on June 21 playing just her third and fourth games since returning from her ACL injury. She averaged 21.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. The most important thing for Augustus is just being able to get back out on the court.
"I just want my team to have fun," Augustus said about her return. "As a team, we're all excited about how we're playing right now and think we can continue this momentum through the rest of the regular season and hopefully the playoffs."
The Brunson Rebounding Effect
Since her reinstatement on May 24 Rebekkah Brunson has done nothing but good things for the Lynx.
In her ten games that she's played so far, seven of them have been double-double performances including her last two road games where she recorded 24 rebounds and 35 points combined.
Brunson has single-handily helped her team become the one of the best rebounding teams in the league and she is currently sitting at the number two spot for most rebounds for the regular season.
She is currently averaging 11.0 rebounds per game.
What's next
The Lynx have pulled themselves up to fourth place in the Western conference, and they are currently 5-9. They have seamlessly incorporated their two-star players Candice Wiggins and Augustus into their lineup, and they are working their way towards the top of the standings.
Although it's nice to have the two explosive players back, the Lynx have proved that they can still function as an effective team without them, with players like Monica Wright who's averaging almost ten points per game, and Lindsey Whalen, averaging 11.2 points per game. It's nice to know that even though they've taken somewhat of a backseat due to the return of Augustus and Wiggins, there is still a solid lineup behind them.
Lynx fans are enjoying the recent success of their team, and anxious to see what they'll do next.
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