Swanny’s Stats

The official Minnesota Lynx Statistician Blog

On Sept. 29, 1988 in Seoul, Korea, Team USA completed an unbeaten five-game run by edging Yugoslavia, 77-70, to claim its second consecutive Olympic gold medal in women's basketball -- and first with the Soviet Union's participation.

For some background, two years earlier under coach Kay Yow, the Americans had ended the U.S.S.R.'s amazing 152-game, 28-year winning streak in international competition with an 83-60 victory at the Goodwill Games in Moscow, then followed up by defeating the Soviets 108-88 for gold at the 1986 FIBA World Championship for Women a month later (also in Moscow). However, thanks to dueling boycotts, Seoul would be the teams' first Olympic showdown since the Soviets took gold at the inaugural 1976 competition in Montréal.

A third of that 1988 roster (four players and one coach) eventually became part of the Lynx organization. Following is a brief recap of their efforts in Seoul and where the ensuing two decades have taken them:

Teresa Edwards: Participating in her second of five Olympic Games, the 24-year-old Edwards was Team USA's second-leading scorer (16.6 ppg) while dealing a team-high 3.4 apg. She opened with back-to-back 20+ outings in pool play (24 vs. Czechoslovakia, 23 vs. Yugoslavia), then led the U.S. with 18 points in the gold-medal game. Winding down one of the most decorated careers in the sport's history, Edwards helped lead the Lynx to the WNBA Playoffs in both 2003 and 2004. She returned to Minnesota as an assistant coach for the 2007 season, and now provides commentary for Atlanta Dream telecasts in her home state of Georgia.

Jennifer Gillom: Making her lone Olympic appearance, Gillom (24) saw action in four games and collected five points and five rebounds in the pool play win over Yugoslavia. After playing six years with the Phoenix Mercury, she retired from the WNBA following the 2003 season with Los Angeles and remains one of the most prolific scorers in league history with a career total of 2,896 points (13.4 ppg). Gillom joined the Lynx as an assistant coach this past summer, and also serves as the head girls' basketball coach at Xavier College Preparatory High School in Phoenix. She will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame next June.

Andrea Lloyd: Having led Texas to the first undefeated season in NCAA women's basketball history in 1985-86 and adding a Pan American Games gold medal in 1987, the 23-year-old Lloyd tallied 6.6 ppg and 3.0 rpg off the bench in Seoul. She contributed seven points and seven rebounds in Team USA's 102-88 semifinal victory over the Soviet Union on Sept. 27. An original member of the Lynx, Lloyd played the 1999 and 2000 seasons before spending the next seven summers as the team's television analyst. She was inducted into the WBHOF in June 2007, and is currently a commentator for Mountain West Conference telecasts.

Suzie McConnell: Fresh out of Penn State that spring -- where she set an NCAA career record for assists (1,307) that still stands -- McConnell (22) earned the first of her two Olympic berths and averaged 8.4 ppg while sinking a team-high five treys. She registered 18 points and four steals in the final pool play victory over China on Sept. 25. As Suzie McConnell Serio, she directed the Lynx to playoff appearances in 2003 and 2004, earning Coach of the Year accolades in the latter season. Inducted into the WBHOF this past summer, she is now the head women's basketball coach at Duquesne University in her hometown of Pittsburgh.

Susan Yow: Along with Sylvia Hatchell, the 34-year-old Yow served as an assistant coach on the staff of her older sister Kay in Seoul. A Kodak All-American at two different schools (Elon and North Carolina State), she was selected to the Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary Team in 2002. Yow joined the Lynx as an assistant coach for the 2006 season, and is currently the head women's basketball coach at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.

Additional links:

• USA Basketball page
• Teresa Edwards feature in the New York Times
• Recap of the Gold Medal game from the New York Times
• Box scores from Seoul

Wrapping up our 2007 preview is a brief look at an undeniable strength of last year's Lynx squad: perimeter shooting. Minnesota had four regulars top 35 percent from beyond the three-point line (league average: 33.5%), led by Amber Jacobs' career-best 39.2% that was good for eighth in the WNBA. Also making the grade were forwards Kristen Mann (37.5%) and Svetlana Abrosimova (36.9%), along with Seimone Augustus (35.3%). As a team, the Lynx finished fourth overall in three-point accuracy at 35.3%, just short of the franchise single-season record of 35.7% set in 2000.

To that core, Minnesota added three-point threats Lindsey Harding (39.5% in her final two years at Duke) and Noelle Quinn (37.7% during her last two seasons with UCLA). Early returns from this preseason indicate that the three-point shot won't be featured as prominently in Don Zierden's offensive plan, which focuses more on the driving and pick-and-roll abilities of Augustus and Harding to create scoring opportunities from closer range.

However, there's a synergy in play here, as those three-point threats should theoretically open additional space for the slashers to work -- and if the defense chooses to collapse on the penetration, wide-open jump shots will abound. The two exhibition games saw just four treys made by the Lynx (two by Jacobs, one each by Quinn and Mann), but at the same time Augustus (8-for-15) and Harding (9-for-18) combined to sink over 50 percent of their attempts from inside the arc.

Striking the right inside/outside balance is vital to Minnesota's chances this summer, particularly due to being short-staffed in the post with Tangela Smith dealt to Phoenix for Harding and Vanessa Hayden on hiatus. The perimeter players will need to offer enough diversity to compensate, and to take advantage of the openings provided by their teammates. Thus far, the results have been encouraging.

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Inside the Box Score: May 13 vs. Los Angeles

Minnesota 63, Los Angeles 55
Team Comparison:
Total Possessions: Los Angeles 73, Minnesota 74
Rebound Percentage: Los Angeles .489, Minnesota .511
Points Off Turnovers: Los Angeles 6, Minnesota 15
Points in the Paint: Los Angeles 22, Minnesota 18
2nd-Chance Points: Los Angeles 6, Minnesota 10
Fast Break Points: Los Angeles 2, Minnesota 2
Individual Plus/Minus:
Los Angeles: Page -3 (21-24), McWilliams-Franklin -1 (37-38), C.Thomas -12 (15-27), Fernandez 0 (37-37), Hodges-Lewis -8 (24-32), L.Thomas -2 (34-36), Chones +1 (24-23), T.Moore -6 (8-14), Spencer +6 (30-24), J.Moore -10 (12-22), Metcalf -11 (0-11), Duffy +7 (19-12), Lambert -1 (14-15)
Minnesota: Quinn +5 (19-14), Raymond +2 (24-22), Ohlde +2 (34-32), Augustus +10 (29-19), Thorburn -3 (17-20), Moore 0 (27-27), Gaither +4 (20-16), Ress +6 (29-23), Jacobs -2 (24-26), Brown +2 (25-23), Mann +2 (19-17), Murphy +3 (27-24), Harding +9 (21-12)

Plainly, the Lynx struggled away from Target Center in 2006 -- earning a franchise-record and league-low two victories in 17 starts -- and the largest culprit was their inability to score. Minnesota was one of just three WNBA teams to average more than 80 ppg in home games (Phoenix 86.5, Washington 83.8, Minnesota 80.4), but finished dead last in scoring average on the road (68.0). Here's a quick rundown of those clubs with the biggest home/road splits last summer:

Largest Scoring Shortfall, Road vs. Home
WNBA Average: -3.6 ppg
-12.4 -- Minnesota (68.0 road, 80.4 home)
-10.8 -- Houston (68.4 road, 79.1 home)
-8.8 -- Sacramento (70.2 road, 79.0 home)
-6.1 -- Washington (77.8 road, 83.8 home)
-4.8 -- Detroit (71.9 road, 76.7 home)

Minnesota was also the league's second-most-accurate shooting team at home (46.4%, trailing only Washington's 48.4%) while ranking just 13th of 14 in unfriendly environments (39.1%, ahead of Detroit's 39.0%):

Largest FG Percentage Shortfall, Road vs. Home
WNBA Average: -1.7%
-7.3% -- Minnesota (39.1% road, 46.4% home)
-4.8% -- Detroit (39.0% road, 43.8% home)
-4.3% -- Washington (44.1% road, 48.4% home)
-4.0% -- Houston (42.2% road, 46.2% home)
-2.8% -- Los Angeles (42.4% road, 45.2% home)
-2.8% -- Phoenix (43.0% road, 45.8% home)

Perhaps much of this spread can be attributed to the Lynx' distinction as the WNBA's youngest team. Of their top eight scorers in 2006, only one -- Vanessa Hayden (5.7 vs. 5.0 ppg) -- averaged more points in road games than at Target Center. However, considering that 14 of the 15 road losses Minnesota suffered were by at least eight points (seven had final margins of 17+), one of coach Don Zierden and staff's biggest tasks will be finding a way to unlock this team's offensive potential more consistently.

Getting Nicole Ohlde back on track might be the key. As a rookie in 2004, the 6-5 forward/center averaged 11.7 ppg and 5.3 rpg at home, 11.6/6.1 on the road. The 2005 season saw similar splits (11.4/5.8, 11.1/5.6), but she struggled last summer outside Minnesota (10.5/6.0, 8.8/5.2). The additions of talented offensive performers Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn, combined with holdovers Seimone Augustus, Kristen Mann, Svetlana Abrosimova and Amber Jacobs -- all six of whom are legitimate three-point shooting threats -- should help create more operating space for Ohlde in the paint. In our next installment, we'll take a look at that perimeter attack, which shapes up to be a Lynx strength in 2007.

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Inside the Box Score: May 5 vs. San Antonio

San Antonio 62, Minnesota 56
Team Comparison:
Total Possessions: Minnesota 79, San Antonio 79
Rebound Percentage: Minnesota .594, San Antonio .406
Points Off Turnovers: Minnesota 10, San Antonio 20
Points in the Paint: Minnesota 22, San Antonio 20
2nd-Chance Points: Minnesota 14, San Antonio 5
Fast Break Points: Minnesota 10, San Antonio 5
Individual Plus/Minus:
Minnesota: Augustus -5 (41-46), Raymond 0 (22-22), Ohlde 35-45 (-10), Jacobs 0 (27-27), Harding -2 (31-33), Mann +5 (21-16), Ress +6 (14-8), Moore -5 (21-26), Brown -4 (16-20), Gaither -10 (19-29), Quinn -5 (24-29), Thorburn 0 (9-9)
San Antonio: Ferdinand-Harris +8 (52-44), Young +7 (44-37), Buescher +10 (45-35), Hammon +3 (41-38), Darling +12 (48-36), Crossley -1 (24-25), Irvin -5 (16-21), Little -4 (21-25), Smith 0 (19-19)

After examining the defense last week, we'll turn our attention to some offensive categories where Minnesota could expect improved results this summer. Leading off is ball movement, expressed here as the ratio of assists to made baskets for the 2006 season:

Lowest Percentage of Assisted Field Goals
WNBA Average: 58.5%
52.0% -- Minnesota
53.5% -- Seattle
55.4% -- Sacramento
56.7% -- Washington
57.3% -- Houston

Connecticut (64.2%), Los Angeles (63.4%) and Detroit (62.2%) finished at the upper end in this category. The Lynx ranked last, and while that's not alarming by itself -- the other four teams listed above all advanced to the 2006 Playoffs -- it was a radical dropoff from previous years for Minnesota:

Year (Record) -- Pct (WNBA Rank)
2005 (14-20) -- 66.3% (2nd of 13)
2004 (18-16) -- 68.6% (3rd of 13)
2003 (18-16) -- 66.3% (1st of 14)
2002 (10-22) -- 64.1% (6th of 16)
2001 (12-20) -- 65.1% (5th of 16)
2000 (15-17) -- 64.3% (5th of 16)
1999 (15-17) -- 70.2% (2nd of 12)

This underscores the Lynx' overreliance on Seimone Augustus to create offense individually, something high on coach Don Zierden's list to remedy in 2007. While the team's offensive sets are still being installed, one recurring theme observed thus far has been dividing the scoring load more equitably than a year ago. Counting Monday's four-team jamboree in Las Vegas as one game, seven different players have been Minnesota's top scorer (one tie) in the six formal scrimmages -- and Augustus isn't one of them. With the Lynx joining Sacramento as the only teams last summer to have just one player average more than 10 ppg, that's an early positive sign.

Wednesday's evening practice:
Guard Kiesha Brown was added to Minnesota's roster today, bringing the number of players in camp to 14 with Svetlana Abrosimova expected to arrive in mid-May. The 28-year-old Brown is a five-year WNBA veteran, having spent the 2006 season with New York. Also of note, the Lynx have hired Jon Erickson as their new Public Relations contact. Erickson comes to Minnesota from the Manchester (Conn.) Journal Inquirer's sports department, where he covered the Connecticut Sun beat among other responsibilities.

Brown was one of 12 players to participate in the night's scrimmage, with Navond Moore limited after injuring her hand in the morning session and Chandi Jones and Eshaya Murphy being held out. The scout team bulled its way to a 15-point halftime lead by piling up offensive rebounds, although rookies Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn were particularly sharp for Minnesota in the first and second quarters, respectively. The Lynx made eight of 12 shots in the third period, with Augustus and Nicole Ohlde combining for 15 of the team's 27 points -- capped by an Augustus buzzer-beater -- and the second unit managed to whittle a 19-point deficit to seven before running out of steam in the closing minutes. Overall, Harding and Ohlde were Minnesota's double-digit scorers while Quinn added three assists and three steals, but a 40-23 board deficit was too much for the Lynx to overcome. Plus/minus leaders were Brown (0), Moore (-1) and Tamika Raymond (-2).

Wrapping up the week, we'll examine the creation of offense through defense. A year ago, the Lynx ranked last in the league -- by a substantial margin -- in points scored after turnovers by the opposition, as displayed here:

Fewest Points Off Opponents' Turnovers
WNBA Average: 15.8 per game
12.7 -- Minnesota
14.4 -- Seattle
14.6 -- New York
14.6 -- Houston
14.6 -- Detroit

Minnesota produced just 193 steals last summer, or 5.68 per game -- the second-lowest single-season average in WNBA history (San Antonio, 5.50 in 2003). For some perspective, the average number of steals for the league's other 13 teams a year ago was 277 (8.14 per game), 43 percent more than the Lynx' haul. Indiana (354), Sacramento (330), Charlotte (315), Washington (306) and Los Angeles (296) were the five overall leaders in steals, while the Mystics (18.9 ppg), Fever (18.3), Monarchs (17.9) and Sting (17.5) topped the Points Off Turnovers category.

Stylistically, one of the Lynx coaching staff's goals this season is putting more pressure on the ball defensively. Analyzing last year's games on video left the impression of Minnesota not being nearly disruptive enough, allowing the opposition to make the first pass of their possession unimpeded and permitting post entry passes without fighting adequately to deny position.

The addition of Lindsey Harding -- the WBCA's National Defensive Player of the Year for 2006-07 -- is theoretically a giant step toward resolving one of those issues. The other is more of a work in progress, with Kristen Mann moving from a wing to the interior and newcomers Katryna Gaither and Kathrin Ress not yet established at the WNBA level. But improving the number of steals per game would feed into Minnesota's strength, which is the creativity of open-floor players like Harding, Noelle Quinn, Svetlana Abrosimova, Chandi Jones and Seimone Augustus.

Saturday's evening practice:
Nine players took part for the Lynx, with Mann excused for personal reasons and Quinn and Eshaya Murphy nursing minor ailments. The scout team again featured superior height and strength, but Minnesota's execution turned this into the best-played scrimmage to date. Amber Jacobs drained three consecutive three-pointers to keep the Lynx even in the first quarter, and Augustus took over in the final two minutes of the half to cap off a 31-point second period for the Lynx.

Harding shone in the third quarter, and Jacobs made all four of her three-point tries in the fourth -- including the game-clinching shot with 20 seconds left -- as Minnesota held on. Jacobs, paying immediate dividends on her move to shooting guard, finished with 35 points (an astounding 8-for-9 from beyond the arc). Augustus had a sublime game, leading the team with seven rebounds and adding five assists and four steals. Harding and Nicole Ohlde also reached double figures, while Shona Thorburn handed out 10 assists (with no turnovers) in 16 minutes. Plus/minus leaders for the night were Thorburn (+19), Navond Moore (+17) and Tamika Raymond (+14).