quote:

ORIGINAL: David Levine

ATLANTA - Minnesota Lynx coach Don Zierden pulled aside rookie Candice Wiggins, hoping to inspire his young star after she went scoreless in the first half.

“She wasn’t playing like we expected her to play,” Zierden said. “We saw a couple of sets that were working with her running it, so we went ahead and stayed with that and milked it for all we could.”

Wiggins scored all of her 22 points in the second half and hit a key three-pointer, and Charde Houston made two free throws with 38 seconds left to help the undefeated Lynx beat the winless Atlanta Dream 85-81 Tuesday night.

Wiggins, picked third overall in the draft, shot 7-for-10 from the field in the second half, making half of her six three-point tries. Her three-pointer with 1:09 left gave Minnesota a 78-76 lead.

In a reserve role, she wanted to give Minnesota a spark.

“I just really tried to come off the bench and give as much energy I could,” Wiggins said. “You have an advantage being on the bench where you can see sort of what’s going on.”

The Lynx won their fifth consecutive game and continued the best start in franchise history. Nicky Anosike had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Seimone Augustus added 19 points for Minnesota.

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ORIGINAL: kgdabom

The Rookies have been great. Hopefully when Harding returns it won't disrupt anything. I will tune in for at least part of the game on Tuesday but I am guessing it will be going on same time as NBA finals.

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ORIGINAL: So.Mn.Fan

Whats your guys take on the Becky Hammon controversy?
Here's mine.
Screw USA Basketball.
Anne Donovan is simply scared crapless that she'll play for Russia and show up the committee/coaches who dissed her.
Runner-up in MVP voting last season and doesn't get an original invite to the ahem, "try-outs"?
Screw that. Someone says, come and play for us and we'll give you a chance to show them what they skipped out on, I do it.
I'm probably dead-wrong on some of the facts here, don't follow it enough, but I'm ashamed they are calling her a "traitor".
She's a basketball player who wants to play on that stage (Olympics).
Make some of the younger "stars" wait their turn, She should have been an automatic call for the tryout process if nothing else.
I'm as "rah-rah for the good old USA" as anyone on the planet, but it's wrong, imo, to try to make her out to be some Benedict Arnold over this.  

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ORIGINAL: David Levine

Got to stop finding ways of pulling defeat from the jaws of victory.

Inexcusable to lose a 7 point lead with 35 seconds left in the game.

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ORIGINAL: kgdabom

Lynx win big against McCarville and the NY Liberty tonight. Ohlde actually had a great game going 7-8 from the field.

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: kgdabom

Lynx win big against McCarville and the NY Liberty tonight. Ohlde actually had a great game going 7-8 from the field.

Ah yes. I remember when the Lynx wouldn't part with #6 (turned out to be Ohlde), #7 (turned out to be Hayden) and 2 starters who are no longer with the  team to get Lindsey Whalen. Brilliant decision.

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ORIGINAL: kgdabom

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: kgdabom

Lynx win big against McCarville and the NY Liberty tonight. Ohlde actually had a great game going 7-8 from the field.

Ah yes. I remember when the Lynx wouldn't part with #6 (turned out to be Ohlde), #7 (turned out to be Hayden) and 2 starters who are no longer with the  team to get Lindsey Whalen. Brilliant decision.

Let me get this straight. Two starters and two top seven draft picks for Whalen. I wouldn't have done it either. Now hindsight is 20/20 so of course now I would do it.

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

I would have absolutely. The Lynx should have ben more than willing to over pay for Whalen. There was a big drop off before #6. I knew Ohlde would be #6 no matter who took the pick and there was a severe drop off after her. I was never impressed with Ohlde at Kansas. Especially after McCarville destroyed her in the NCAA. The starters were from a lousy team and they included Ambrosimova who was never that good and promptly lost her starting job and a PG that they picked up in a dispersal draft and didn't even finish the year with the Lynx. Whalen was corner stone player coming out of college and could have energized a fan base with the local angle. This was a perfect storm pick for the Lynx and they blew it.

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ORIGINAL: David Levine

quote:

ORIGINAL: TJSweens

I would have absolutely. The Lynx should have ben more than willing to over pay for Whalen. There was a big drop off before #6. I knew Ohlde would be #6 no matter who took the pick and there was a severe drop off after her. I was never impressed with Ohlde at Kansas. Especially after McCarville destroyed her in the NCAA. The starters were from a lousy team and they included Ambrosimova who was never that good and promptly lost her starting job and a PG that they picked up in a dispersal draft and didn't even finish the year with the Lynx. Whalen was corner stone player coming out of college and could have energized a fan base with the local angle. This was a perfect storm pick for the Lynx and they blew it.

That was the key to me. I have never seen a female athlete that was so embraced by Minnesota. The stories in the paper, the people going to the games "just to see Lindsey", etc.

From a marketing/sales standpoint it was a no-brainer and would've bought YEARS of good will.

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ORIGINAL: DavidAOlson
At the time, my understanding was that CT turned them down, for the obvious reason that there was such a big talent dropoff.

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ORIGINAL: TJSweens

quote:

ORIGINAL: DavidAOlson
At the time, my understanding was that CT turned them down, for the obvious reason that there was such a big talent dropoff.

At the end CT made the 2 picks and starters proposal and the Lynx balked at it.