Sota has pop

There's a lot of news and observations coming out of Mohegan Sun Arena today, with both the Sun and Minnesota Lynx practicing.

Here's a few notes:

(1) For the second time in three weeks, the Sun "enjoyed" an extended break between games to work on things. This week, Sun coach Mike Thibault emphasized three things: Rebounding (Chicago won the battle on the boards Sunday in the Sun's 75-73 win), offensive tempo (a constant focus for the team so far this season) and playing more aggressive defense (the Sun rank last in the league in steals per game with six).

"I know (assistant) Bernadette (Mattox) came over to me a couple times and said I need to be a little more active on the ball and get my hands into a couple more balls," Lindsay Whalen said. "Maybe that goes for everyone on the perimeter, but try to get more steals, be more active on defensive end.

"Just kind of working on ourselves," she added. "I think that’s the tone we set on Tuesday."

Said Tamika Raymond: "I think this week was good for us. I’m kind of happy we didn’t have games because we just needed to clean up things, as Coach would say."

That extra practice time disappears, though, starting this weekend when they host Washington on Sunday and depart for their West coast road trip, starting with Minnesota (again) on Tuesday. It's the start of five games in 11 days. Thibault and the players like it that way, though.

"We’ll have a string of games where we’ll get into a better rhythm now," Thibault said.

(2) At 5-0, the Lynx are the league's last undefeated team. After going 10-24 the last two seasons, they brought in Anna DeForge through free agency, returned reserve Vanessa Hayden (pregnancy) and had perhaps the best draft of any WNBA team, taking Candice Wiggins and Nicky Anosike within the first 14 picks and drafting Charde Houston in the third round. They, of course, also still have Seimone Augustus, a U.S. Olympic team member and probably the least-talked about superstar in the WNBA.

As far as the rookies, Wiggins is averaging 14.8 points per game and, like the Sun's Barbara Turner, is looking like the Sixth Man of the Year; Anosike has started every game at center and is averaging 12.4 points and leads the team in rebounding; and Charde Houston has scored 15 or more points three times.

Houston requested 70 tickets for tonight's game, and seemed genuinely excited to be back in Connecticut. She was just as pumped for a visit Flanders Fish Market in East Lyme.

"It’s been hard because I put a lot of pressure on myself every day in practice," Houston said of her first few weeks as a pro. "I get upset when somebody scores on me. I get upset when I don’t score. So I think I’ve been so productive because the coaching staff has put so much pressure on me to succeed. Good pressure, nothing negative. They just expect so much for me, and they do everything in such a positive way. If something goes wrong, they’re in my ear, but they make sure it’s also encouraging. They don’t bring me down or anything. It’s just a good atmosphere to be in."

When asked if she had spoken to UConn coach Geno Auriemma, with whom she had a hot-and-cold relationship throughout ther four years in Storrs, Houston said she hadn't, nor does she do so regularly.

"But I think (me not talking to Auriemma), that’s totally irrelevant whether I talk to him," she said. "That’s not something that should be made a big deal out of. Things happen."

When told the question was only asked because a lot of players usually do talk to their former coaches -- Jolene Anderson, for example, talks to her Wisconsin coach several times a week -- Houston said, "Yeah, OK. Well, no I don’t."

That said, she couldn't be happier where she is now.

"Everything comes with a blessing and everything happens for a reason," she said.

As for all the rookies, coach Don Zierden said he expected contributions from the trio of newcomers, but not quite like he's got.

"We had two ways we could go about this: Bring in some free agents or some older players and blow it up, but we decided that we were going to try to start young," he said. "So we knew that they were going to have to contribute because we’re a bunch of young players right now. But we didn’t know that Charde would have a game of 21 and Candice would have a game of 22 or Nicky would have a 12- or 13-rebound game."

Asked how he keeps them from getting too high on their performances, Zierden smiled.

"I think when we showed them film on Connecticut, they got the idea right away," he said. "OK, we’re 5-0, but after taking a look at how good Connecticut is, I think it kind of snapped them back in reality today pre-practice.

"The Lynx used to not be a serious competitor for anything," Zierden later added. "But now we’re trying to get some respectability out of this team and we think we’re trying to get there."

(3) As for Augustus, she's still scoring (19.8 points per game), but she doesn't have nearly the amount of pressure to get points like she did the last two years. I touch on this more in the Scout Box below, but she's also becoming a leader for the Lynx. Zierden explains further.

"When we traded Tamika (Raymond to the Sun), we traded a leader of this team. And the players were nervous about it. The reason that we weren’t worried about it is because we knew eventually, it had to become Seimone’s team. And until you move Tamika, that was maybe going to inhibit her from expanding her leadership skills. So when we traded Tamika, we called her right away and told her, ‘This is your team now.’ It was going to be that way anyway whether Tamika left in a year or two. But we wanted it to be now and she’s really embraced that role."

Zierden went on to describe the guard/forward as a quiet leader who does her work in small settings. For example, Zierden said, a player was struggling during practice on Thursday and at the next water break, it was Augustus who was talking to her.

"That’s leadership," he said.

(4) A quick note on DeForge: She's averaging 10.0 points per game this season, but Sun fans will probably remember when she scorched Connecticut during last year's playoffs. She scored 31, 26 and 18, respectively, in the three-game playoff series.

"Anna DeForge has had some great games in this building," Whalen said.

For more, here's the Scout Box for tomorrow's game:

MINNESOTA LYNX at CONNECTICUT SUN
7 p.m.
Mohegan Sun Arena, Mohegan
Records: Connecticut 5-1; Minnesota 5-0.
Last game: Connecticut beat the Chicago Sky, 75-73, on Sunday; Minnesota beat the Atlanta Dream, 85-81, on Tuesday.
Next game: Connecticut hosts Washington Sunday; Minnesota hosts San Antonio Sunday.
TV/Radio/Internet: www.connecticutsun.com.
Series: The all-time series is tied between the two teams, 8-8, though the Sun own a 5-3 record at home against the Lynx. The teams split their two meetings last year, each winning on their home floor.
Injuries: Connecticut—Kamesha Hairston (recovering from lateral meniscus surgery, day-to-day). Minnesota—Lindsey Harding (stress fracture in left patella, out).
Scouting report: The Sun (2-0) and the Lynx (3-0) are the only teams in the NBA who haven’t lost on the road this season. ... Lindsay Whalen needs one more assist to tie Nykesha Sales (683) for second-all time among Connecticut’s career leaders. Bothered by a sore right Achilles’ tendon last weekend, Whalen said it’s improving. “It’s obviously not a horrible injury,” she said, jokingly adding, “I just can’t be going on four- or five-mile hikes on my day off.” ... The Sun already have made 49 3s this year (an average of 8.17 per game) , and lead the league in 3-point attempts per game (23.3). As a team, they’ve never averaged more than 5.7 made 3s or 16.8 attempts in a full season. Between Candice Wiggins, Seimone Augustus and free agent acquisition Anna DeForge, the Lynx have three perimeter players capable of stretching a defense. ... Though she has returned to practice, Sun coach Mike Thibault said Kamesha Hairston will not play tonight. ... With four other players scoring in double figures, Augustus has more help than she’s ever had. “We had two games already where she was our leading scorer and we won those games,” Lynx coach Don Zierden said. “That wouldn’t have happened last year. The Sun’s 4-1 mark in May was the best in franchise history.” ... The five games were also the most they’ve played in the opening month of the season.

May be the best

The WNBA set a number of attendances records and TV viewership is up in several areas, the league announced Tuesday. Some highlights:

(1) The league set a record for total attendance in May (269,287) and sold out 14 games, also the best in its 12-year history. The Indiana Fever also became the first team to open the season with three straight sell-outs, no doubt an impact of Katie Douglas' return to her home state and, at least in one game, the presence of Candace Parker and the Los Angeles Sparks.

(2) In two games on ESPN2, viewership was up 45 percent (266,000 vs. 184,000) and ratings rose 44 percent (0.23 vs. 0.16).

(3) WNBA.com received nearly 3 million visits and more than 15.5 million page views, setting a new monthly mark, and again, Parker had a lot to do with it. Her player page on the Web site received more page views than any NBA player with the exception of the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant for the week of May 18-24.

This release is partly the WNBA patting itself on the back and a way to prove its relevance, which still is a struggle compared to any male professional sport. Then again, for everyone to say, 'Oh, the league is growing,' is one thing. To actually have some statistics that prove as much is another.

As for some Sun news:

Hairston returns
Sun guard Kamesha Hairston (torn right lateral meniscus) returned to practice full-time Tuesday. After undergoing surgery on May 9, she’s spent the last three weeks shooting and undergoing rehab, but participated in five-on-five and full-court drills with no problems at Conn College.

“Right now, she really doesn’t have any restrictions,” Sun trainer Jeremy Norman said. “(The process) went real quick. Dr. (Ammar) Anbari is real happy with how fast she’s been going with this. We’ve got a little bit of time until this next game (Friday, against Minnesota) so we can kind of re-matriculate her into playing aghttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifain. And it gives me a couple days, too, to how she responds to it.”

Norman said there’s still soreness, and until the swelling totally subsides, “she won’t be as strong and everything she does will be a little bit slower.” But Hairston has experienced no setbacks.

“She was a little tentative in a few things, but she did a good job,” said Sun coach Thibault, who hasn’t decided if he’ll make her active for Friday’s game with Minnesota. (The Lynx, by the way, with an 85-81 win over the Atlanta Dream. Charde Houston hit two free throws with 38 seconds left to seal it.)

Maltsi doubtful to show
Thibault reiterated that he doesn’t expect Evina Maltsi to join the Sun this season due to responsibilities back home in Greece.

Thibault does not have all the specifics on the guard’s situation, but explained it as such:

“She’s employed in a job that’s been set up. I don’t know if the Greek government does it or the national federation, but they want her around. It’s one of those things if you walk away from it, it might not be there when your playing career is over. I don’t know the whole thing. All I know is I’m not counting on her being here.”

The news will leave permanently leave the Sun without another outside scoring threat, but allows them to avoid making a cut until Erin Phillips arrive after the Olympic break.

“She’s very frustrated with the whole thing,” Thibault said of Maltsi. “But she can’t walk away from the situation she has.”

Carey masked
Though a CT-Scan Tuesday revealed she didn't have a fractured nose, guard Jamie Carey will wear a protective mask as a preventative measure. The fourth-year guard was inadvertently “popped” in the nose by Chicago’s Armintie Price late in Sunday’s win over Chicago, and she is not expected to miss any time.

Douglas, Augustus named Players of the Week

Indiana's Katie Douglas and Minnesota's Seimone Augustus were named Players of the Week for the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, on Monday. Here is the press release from the league:

Douglas earns her third career Player of the Week award – her first as a member of the Fever – after averaging 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists. After being traded from the Connecticut in the offseason in exchange for Tamika Whitmore, Douglas scored 23 points and pulled in 6 rebounds in the Fever’s 75-46 win over the Sun on May 27. Against Los Angeles on May 29, she poured in a game-high 25 points to cap a stretch of four games in which she scored 20 or more points, becoming the second player in franchise history to accomplish the feat (Tamika Catchings, three times). In Indiana’s three games, Douglas led the team in assists twice, handing out five against both Connecticut and Detroit.

Douglas propelled the Fever to 2-1 record on the week, including a double-overtime thriller over previously-undefeated Los Angeles on May 29. In her first season with Indiana, Douglas has anchored a Fever squad that has played without Catchings in the early going. She currently ranks second in the WNBA in scoring for the season with 21.4 points per game, trailing only Phoenix’s Cappie Pondexter (26.8 ppg).

Augustus receives the second Player of the Week award in her career after averaging 22.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor (24-for-48), 50.0 percent of her three-pointers and 93.8 percent from the foul line.

She highlighted her week with a 25-point, 9-rebound performance while playing 42 minutes in Minnesota’s 98-92 overtime win at Houston on May 27. Her nine rebounds against both Houston and Chicago (May 29) tied her previous career-high mark. She was also Minnesota’s leading scorer in each of the team’s three games in the past week.

A two-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year, Augustus rallied the Lynx from a 14-point deficit against Houston and sunk the game-tying basket with 25.9 seconds remaining in regulation. To date, she ranks fifth in the WNBA in scoring and among the top 25 in rebounding as a guard. Even more impressive, she’s led the Lynx to a franchise-best 4-0 start and a place atop the Western Conference standings. Minnesota is also the only remaining unbeaten team in the WNBA.

Other candidates for WNBA Players of the Week were Chicago’s Sylvia Fowles, Connecticut’s Lindsey Whalen, Los Angeles’ Candace Parker, Phoenix’s Cappie Pondexter, Sacramento’s Laura Harper, Seattle’s Lauren Jackson and Washington’s Monique Currie.

Sun-Sky AP story

Here's a link to the game story of the Sun's 75-73 win over the Chicago Sky Sunday, courtesy of the Associated Press.

Game Update: Sun hold on against Sky, 75-73

Tamika Whitmore and Lindsay Whalen each scored 19 points and the Sun improved to 5-1 with a 75-73 win over the Chicago Sky at the UIC Pavilion Sunday. Amber Holt added 11 points, and Connecticut withstood a late Chicago 3-pointer to hold on.

Jia Perkins led the Sky (1-3) with 21 points, and Sylvia Fowles (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Candice Dupree (14 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles. The Sun hit 9 3-pointers to overcome a 43-34 deficit on the boards.

Game Update: Sun lead Sky at half

Tamika Whitmore scored 14 points, Lindsay Whalen has 12 and the Sun lead the Chicago Sky, 40-37, at the half at UIC Pavilion in Chicago. You can follow the scoring here, but here are some key stats from the first half:

There were 11 lead changes and nine ties through the first two quarters. The Sun have done little to slow the Sky inside: They're losing the rebound battle, 24-18, and Sylvia Fowles has nine points and eight rebounds. But they've limited their turnovers (four total) and Whitmore (5-for-7, 2-for-3 from 3) and Whalen (4-for-7, 2-for-3) have been extremely efficient from the field.

Scouting Sun-Sky

Here is the Scout Box for Sunday's Sun-Chicago Sky match-up (5 p.m., UIC Pavilion).

CONNECTICUT SUN at CHICAGO SKY
5 p.m., today
UIC Pavilion, Chicago
Records: Connecticut 4-1; Chicago 1-2.
Last game: Connecticut beat New York, 89-84, on Friday; Chicago lost to Minnesota, 75-69, on Thursday.
Next game: Connecticut hosts Minnesota Friday; Chicago hosts Los Angeles Tuesday.
TV/Internet: None/ www.connecticutsun.com
Series: The Sun lead the all-time series, 6-1, and they have never lost at Chicago (4-0). Connecticut won the season series, 3-1, last year.
Injuries: Connecticut—Kamesha Hairston (out, recovering from surgery to repair torn meniscus). Chicago—None reported.
Scouting report: Chicago is coming off a loss to Minnesota in which coach Steve Key criticized his team’s lack of focus. “Mentally, we weren’t prepared,” Key told the Chicago Tribune. “Not remembering what we said at a timeout. Not remembering where we’re supposed to go in a timely fashion. … If we can't remember what to do at the right time, we’re going to have these mistakes.” … The Sun are averaging 17.7 turnovers a game in their last four contests and committed 19 Friday against New York. … Chicago’s Candice Dupree averaged 19.8 points in four games against the Sun last year. She scored 28 in the Sky’s only win over Connecticut, an 87-74 drubbing at Mohegan Sun Arena. … Asjha Jones scored 20.8 points per game in four contests last year against Chicago. In that same loss to the Sky, she netted 22. … Lindsay Whalen sits third all-time in franchise history with 675 assists and is primed to pass Nykesha Sales (683). Shannon Johnson owns the franchise record with 737. Whalen is averaging 6.6 assists per game this season, and is playing with a sore right Achilles' tendon. … Sun guard Jamie Carey was recently named the head coach of Legacy High School in Colorado, and her father Mike will serve as an assistant. Legacy competes in the same conference as Horizon High School, where Carey earned national Player of the Year honors in 1999.

Connecticut
13 G Lindsay Whalen 14.8
33 G Jolene Anderson 8.0
1 F Amber Holt 6.0
15 F Asjha Jones 13.2
00 C Tamika Whitmore 14.4

Connecticut reserves
22 Barbara Turner 9.6
10 Jamie Carey 4.6
41 Kerri Gardin 4.0

Chicago
22 G Armintie Price 12.0
11 G Jia Perkins 9.3
4 F Candice Dupree 13.7
3 F Dominique Canty 9.3
34 C Sylvia Fowles 11.0

Chicago reserves
44 Chasity Melvin 7.7
21 Brooke Wyckoff 3.7
32 K.B. Sharp 3.0