The Runs #3

Just for the record, the Lynx did it again last night to the lowly (5-25) Washington Mystics. Hey, anybody can do it to the Mystics! Well, not like this. Leading 40-39 early in the 3rd period, the Lynx ripped off 17 points in a row. Game over.

Reserves Monica Wright and Jessica Adair led the run with 7 and 4 points, respectively. Wright added an assist, a rebound and a steal, while Adair added 2 boards, one on each end of the floor. Reserves Candice Wiggins was also on the floor for most of the run, contributing 2 boards and an assist, and Amber Harris for part of it, contributing a steal and a 2.

The bench out-scored Washington's bench 29-14, as it has out-scored pretty much everybody the past six weeks or so. And it was well to do so as Lindsay Whalen was the only Lynx starter to score in double figures with 21 points, plus 5 assists.

While the bench's production was typical, the starting lineup's lack thereof was not. The Lynx also played against type by failing to win the possession game. The Mystics got off 2 extra FGA, though the Lynx had 2 extra offensive rebounds and the turnovers were equal at 17. The Lynx have been winning the possession game by wide margins all year, both off the offensive glass and by protecting the ball. This time they took the old-fashioned expedient of out-shooting their opponent from the field, 56 percent to 36 percent.

In any event, the lead ballooned from 57-40 to a high of 23 at 70-47 before the Lynx coasted to the finish and a 16 point win (73-57).

As a result, the Lynx have now all but clinched the home court advantage throughout the playoffs. OK, they're one win (or Indiana loss) away from same, but with 4 games remaining and 6 straight wins, one additional win can be considered to be a formality. In fact, it should come tonight at Target Center against the New York Liberty.

It was also announced today that Lindsay Whalen is the WNBA's player of the month for August. Here's another thing the Lynx have absolutely dominated. Rebekah Brunson was player of the month for June, and Seimone Augustus for July. The WNBA ranks them just #6 (Augustus), #8 (Whalen) and #12 (Brunson) in the MVP race, however. Tina Charles, Sylvia Fowles and Tamika Catchings rate #1, 2 and 3 this week. The WNBA says that Whalen's game "doesn't have a lot of flash." If that's the case, maybe they can tell us what flash would look like.