Sky continues to fall on Lynx

BY MIKE PEDEN

The Minnesota Lynx are still stuck at just one win for the season after a 73-58 loss to the Chicago Sky Saturday night in front of 6,129 at Target Center.

The Lynx (1-5), who now have lost five straight games, remain plagued by an inability to string good individual performances into a team game.

Against the Sky (2-4), Rashanda McCants and Chardé Houston led the Lynx with 12 points while Lindsay Whalen added 11, but those results were nullified by ball control (19 turnovers to Chicago's 10), and shooting problems (32% for the night).

"We're being challenged right now," said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. "On the day that we give one of our finest defensive efforts, we can't put the ball in the hole."

The Lynx also struggled from the free throw line, making just 56% of their shots while Chicago made 83%. Coming into the game, the Lynx had sank 82% of their free throws on the season.

The Lynx mustered just 10 points by the end of the first quarter and only led once during the game, when they took a 6-4 lead midway through that period.

"I took a couple tough shots when I probably should have passed," Whalen said. "But at the same time, you're trying to make something happen."

Chicago ran away in the 2nd half, fueled by center Sylvia Fowles. Fowles scored 18 points, making six of seven shots from the floor and matched that number on the free throw line.

"My teammates needed me and I needed to step up," she said.

No other Sky starters matched Fowles' offensive efficiency. The closest was guard Jia Perkins, who finished with 10 points. While Perkins made just four of 13 shots, she credits the defensive focus for getting Chicago its second straight win after dropping the first four games of the season.

"Even if you have an off-night, defense should never be off," Perkins said. "If you play good defense, offense will come."

The Lynx loss meant they remained in last place in the Western Conference as the month of May ends. Although Minnesota did not expect to struggle early, Reeve said the team refuses to point fingers after dropping the last five games.

"They're disappointed, but they know this is a good basketball team. The only answer to this is we got to keep playing," she said.

Reeve's players echoed that sentiment in the locker room after the game.

"We got to stay together and keep pushing through the struggle," McCants said.