The Minnesota Lynx made headlines in the WNBA on Tuesday night. In a game that saw them host the Indiana Fever, Minnesota cruised to a 24-point victory to record their 11th win of the season. The result also saw them break a record in the WNBA for most wins to start a campaign as the Lynx improved to 11-0. Previously the record was 10-0, one that Minnesota already held from 2012.
The WNBA season is a relatively short one with just 34 games making up the entire regular-season schedule. The Lynx have thus, more or less, gone a third of their season already without suffering a defeat. Perhaps needless to say, they are the current favorites to win the WNBA championship (Source: William Hill).
Part of that is due to the fact that Diana Taurasi’s Phoenix Mercury are only trudging along at 4-6 on the year, despite a lot of pre-season hype surrounding that franchise. The Mercury have started winning more consistently lately, so it will be interesting to see if they start to turn things around.
But right now the women’s association is all about Minnesota. Looking ahead, the Lynx certainly look as though they will improve to 12-0 on the season soon. They next face the Seattle Storm in a game that won’t take place until this weekend. The Storm are an interesting team with newcomer Breanna Stewart, however so far they are just 4-7 on the year.
With the Seattle game several days away, the gap will give Minnesota plenty of time to celebrate their achievement, to deal with the media, and then to rest for the next task at hand. Shortly thereafter the Lynx will face the Los Angeles Sparks – the other team in the WNBA that is currently undefeated.
The Sparks were also active on Tuesday night as they hosted the Chicago Sky in a game that came from the Staples Center. With a 13-point victory behind a very well-balanced offensive attack, the Sparks improved to 10-0, just a hair behind the Lynx. The Sparks are a team that should be noted for a multitude of offensive contributors and their game against Chicago was a case in point. No less than five players scored in double digits, including Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike. The latter turned in a double-double for points and rebounds.
With the results from Tuesday, there is a chance that these two undefeated teams could go head to head next week. In a game that will come from the Staples Center on June 21st, the Sparks will host the Lynx. There are results that need to be settled ahead of that game, however, come June 21st, it’s possible that an 11-0 Los Angeles might be facing a 12-0 Minnesota next Tuesday. With the chance to make history pending the result, the game promises to be a key one in what is now the middle parts of an intriguing WNBA season.