Thursday Practice Report
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Despite a current winning streak, there were bittersweet feelings surrounding the Lynx practice today.
The team has played tremendously as of late, compiling three straight victories for the first time this season, but had to practice without their star and leader in Candice Wiggins after she ruptured her Achilles tendon in her left leg in Tuesday night's contest against the New York Liberty.
"Our hearts go out to her, but it is a part of the game at any level and you just have to find a way to deal with it, we'll be there for Candice to support her and she'll be here to support us when she gets back in town," Cheryl Reeve said. "Our players will have to step up, we've got ten players now and our philosophy is that we are a man down, we've got to man up now, and that's going to come from every position, not just one player."
Wiggins, a vital offensive threat for the Lynx, was averaging 13.8 points per game. With Wiggins gone, it provides a great chance for rookie guard Monica Wright, who is averaging nearly ten points per game, to step up and blossom into the dangerous scoring threat that she is capable of being.
"I will do as much as I can to help this team win," Wright said. "Candice is someone that you really can't replace, she's a very vital player, so it's going to be a team effort, not just one person that is going to step up, but I will try to do the best I can to help fill the void."
It will take a team effort to replace a player of Wiggins' caliber, but despite the loss, the season goals will not change for Minnesota, who now stands in fourth place of the Western Conference playoff picture.
"We just want to be in the mix, and right now we are so we're happy about that," Seimone Augustus said. "Now, we're just focused on keeping this win streak going."
The Lynx will look to continue the win streak on Saturday night as they travel to San Antonio to take on the Silver Stars. Tipoff set for 7 PM.
Official Candice Wiggins Injury Update
MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Lynx today announced that guard Candice Wiggins will miss the remainder of the 2010 season after rupturing her Achilles tendon in her left leg in Tuesday night's contest vs. the New York Liberty. The injury occurred with 8.0 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. An MRI done yesterday confirmed the injury. Wiggins will have surgery tomorrow.
In eight games this season, Wiggins averaged 13.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 29.8 minutes per game.
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