Lynx Send Shock To Record-Tying 17th Loss In Row
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Seimone Augustus scored 16 points and the Minnesota Lynx handed the Tulsa Shock their WNBA record-tying 17th straight loss with an 82-54 victory on Sunday night.
In a matchup of the teams with the best and worst records in the league, the Lynx (18-5) won their 11th in 12 games, while Tulsa fell to 1-22.
Lindsay Whalen chipped in 12 points and nine assists for Minnesota.
Sheryl Swoopes scored nine points for the Shock, who will try to avoid setting a new league record for consecutive losses when they face the Los Angeles Sparks at home next Sunday. Tulsa is tied with the Atlanta Dream, who lost the first 17 games of their inaugural 2008 season.
The victory allowed Minnesota to match its franchise record for victories in a season and moved the Lynx one step closer to their first playoff appearance in seven years. Any combination of four Lynx wins or Los Angeles losses will put Minnesota in the playoffs.
Four Minnesota players average at least 10 points this season, and the Lynx benefited from balanced scoring again on Sunday. Four players -- Maya Moore, Candice Wiggins, Jessica Adair and Monica Wright -- scored nine points, while All-Star forward Rebekkah Brunson added eight points and a game-high six rebounds.
The Lynx took advantage of seven Tulsa turnovers to pull out to a 20-12 lead after one quarter. They stretched that cushion to as much as 15 in the second and kept the Shock at arm's length the rest of the game.
Tulsa head coach Teresa Edwards, who played two seasons for the Lynx at the end of her illustrious career, coached her first game since she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., on Friday.
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