Swanny’s Stats

The official Minnesota Lynx Statistician Blog

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).

Our third installment centers on interior scoring, commonly referred to as "points in the paint." Minnesota finished next-to-last defensively in this category a year ago, as described in the chart below. Expressed as a ratio, 43 percent of the 80.4 ppg allowed by the Lynx were scored from within the lane.

Most Points in the Paint Allowed
WNBA Average: 31.1 per game
34.7 -- Phoenix
34.6 -- Minnesota
34.4 -- Chicago
33.5 -- San Antonio
33.1 -- New York

Detroit was far and away the WNBA's best in preventing interior scoring last summer, permitting just 23.9 ppg (34 percent of its total). Sacramento (26.9), Los Angeles (27.6), Indiana (29.4) and Connecticut (30.1) completed the top five, and it's probably no coincidence that those were the only five teams to win more than 20 games. In fact, to extend it further, the eight teams allowing the fewest total paint points were the same eight who advanced to the 2006 Playoffs (Washington 30.4, Houston 31.4, Seattle 31.9).

Without the shot-blocking presence of Vanessa Hayden available this year, the theme in training camp has been support -- as Seimone Augustus put it, "have each other's backs" -- so that if the ball is entered into the post, the double- or triple-team becomes second nature. And if an opposing player has the ball isolated on a wing, the Lynx defender knows without looking that a teammate (or two) has stepped over to the strong side to help prevent a dribble-drive from reaching the painted area. This style puts a premium on being able to recover quickly on defense if the ball is reversed to the opposite side of the floor, which is partly why wings like Eshaya Murphy and Navond Moore are flourishing.

Thursday's evening practice:
The waiving of Megan Duffy and Brooke Smith this afternoon reduced the number of players in camp to 13. The expected nicks and bruises are showing up, with Chandi Jones being held out of the scrimmage entirely, and Kristen Mann and Shona Thorburn seeing only limited minutes; the stationary bikes got quite a workout. Also, Murphy turned an ankle with a minute to go in the final quarter and was icing it afterwards.

The Lynx squared off against a taller, more physical scout team than in previous sessions, but jumped out to a first-quarter lead thanks to 70 percent shooting and crisp ball movement (seven assists on seven baskets). Once again, Lindsey Harding was superlative, driving the lane, hitting a three-pointer, picking up a pair of deflections and forcing a jump ball. Nicole Ohlde also scored well early against a 6-6 defender. The overall size difference may have worn Minnesota down over the final three quarters, however, as the scout team took advantage of turnovers and second-chance points to pull ahead.

Murphy put in another strong night before being sidelined, scoring a team-high 11 points with two steals, while Harding finished with 10 points and led the Lynx in both assists and rebounds. Katryna Gaither enjoyed her best scrimmage of the week, teaming up with Moore on a couple of eye-catching plays. Plus/minus leaders for the evening were Kathrin Ress (+4), Tamika Raymond (+3), Gaither (+2) and Thorburn (+2).

The second item up for examination this week is transition defense, or preventing the opponent from scoring in fast-break situations. As shown below, the Lynx ranked last in the league in 2006 by surrendering over 10 points a night on the break:

Most Fast Break Points Allowed
WNBA Average: 8.1 per game
10.5 -- Minnesota
10.3 -- Charlotte
9.9 -- Chicago
9.2 -- San Antonio
8.6 -- Houston

The main culprit in Minnesota's case was steals. While they finished middle-of-the-pack in total turnovers (15.6 per game, 6th overall), the Lynx gave up more steals (308, or 9.1 per game) than any other team last summer. Dead-ball turnovers -- ball lost or passed out of bounds, traveling, offensive fouls, three-second calls, etc. -- while troublesome, at least permit a team to regroup defensively. But when nearly 60 percent of your miscues are of the live-ball variety, resulting in continuous play, it places too much strain on players to be well-coordinated while defending in the open court, where any miscommunication can result in an uncontested layup.

Minnesota took steps to address this shortcoming by picking up Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn on Draft Day, looking for better ballhandling along the perimeter and an upgrade in entering the ball to the post. (On the latter front, the Lynx will simultaneously need improvement from their inside players in becoming better targets for those entry passes.) Harding posted an assist/turnover ratio of 1.70-to-1 in her senior season and 1.96-to-1 over her career at Duke. Quinn, meanwhile, had a career ratio of 1.45-to-1 at UCLA, which is exceptional for a wing.

Wednesday's evening practice:
The Lynx and scout teams battled for five quarters, generally in running-time mode. Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn were excused after the fourth period in order to appear as guests on Mike Max's evening program on WCCO Radio. Seimone Augustus had one of her dominating moments in the third quarter, helping Minnesota pull ahead with nine points in a three-minute span. Zierden, struggling with laryngitis the past couple of evenings, put Augustus and Nicole Ohlde together with Harding, Quinn and Tamika Raymond for a good portion of the scrimmage.

Harding again sparkled, leading the team in assists, swiping a couple of steals and forcing two jump balls. Ohlde finished as Minnesota's leading scorer (14) and rebounder (six), and added two steals for good measure. Shona Thorburn knocked down back-to-back treys in the final period, while Eshaya Murphy put in another impressive effort, drawing a key charge, sinking the tie-breaking three-pointer with under a minute to play and then preserving the lead by coming up with a steal on the ensuing possession. Overall, Minnesota finished 8-for-13 (61.5%) from beyond the arc this evening. Plus/minus leaders were Kathrin Ress (+11), Megan Duffy (+7) and Brooke Smith (+7).

As noted by Mike Trudell on lynxbasketball.com following Tuesday's morning session, much of the early emphasis in training camp has been on basic defensive principles. Taking over a club that finished near the bottom of the WNBA in most defensive metrics a year ago, coach Don Zierden and his staff are implementing a system that requires players to think, communicate and work as a five-player unit.

Many of the categories where Minnesota needs marked improvement from 2006 in order to contend for a playoff spot this summer involve ball pressure and floor balance, areas where trusting one's teammates is crucial to success. The four numbers we're focusing on here are: 1) defensive rebounding; 2) stopping the fast break; 3) preventing interior scoring; and 4) creating points from opponents' turnovers. We'll look at one of these a day for the remainder of the week, along with how the Lynx may be able to address them and which players are key to an upgrade.

Lowest Defensive Rebound Percentage
WNBA Average: .697
.642 -- Chicago
.665 -- Phoenix
.669 -- Charlotte
.678 -- Minnesota
.682 -- New York

The figure listed is the percentage of opponents' missed shots a team rebounded. Detroit led the league at .731 en route to its second championship in four years, with Indiana, Seattle, Los Angeles, Connecticut and Sacramento rounding out the top six. Personnel-wise, this will likely be the most difficult area for Minnesota to make significant strides. Absent the top two per-minute rebounders from last season's roster (Vanessa Hayden and Adrian Williams), the Lynx will need solid efforts from holdover posts Tamika Raymond and Nicole Ohlde. Kristen Mann, who spent most of 2006 at small forward, is penciled in for a move to the '4' (power forward) spot, while newcomer Katryna Gaither -- second in defensive rebounding in EuroLeague play behind DeLisha Milton-Jones -- brings strong credentials to Target Center.

Tuesday's evening practice:
The Lynx took part in their first full-fledged 40-minute scrimmage, competing against a familiar men's scout team that also assists the Gopher women's program. Gaither and Seimone Augustus arrived in camp today, leaving Svetlana Abrosimova as the only player yet to report. Amber Jacobs missed the night session due to personal reasons; she'll return tomorrow. Rookie free agent Navond Moore was impressive, hitting a pair of three-pointers in the opening quarter and showing tremendous hustle.

First-rounders Lindsey Harding and Noelle Quinn also made positive contributions. Harding -- whose delayed Minnesota debut was well-chronicled in the local newspapers following a tour of Italy with Team USA -- converted a driving three-point play, helped out to block a layup attempt, and rotated perfectly to draw a charge (from a much larger opponent, to boot). After some brief encouragement from Zierden, Quinn responded by making five of six shots for a team-high 12 points.

Eshaya Murphy, perhaps the 2007 Draft's top rebounding wing prospect (8.5 rpg at USC), displayed an outstanding nose for the ball by hauling down 11 defensive boards in 18 minutes. Mann and Raymond teamed up on some nice post passing combinations, with both players dealing three assists and Mann sinking four straight long jumpers to match Quinn's 12 points. Plus/minus leaders for the evening were Shona Thorburn (+17), Mann (+15) and Ohlde (+14).

Lynx players figured prominently in both FIBA Europe championships decided this month. Spartak Moscow copped the 2007 EuroLeague crown on its home floor, upending rival CSKA Samara on Mar. 30 before cruising past Spanish power Ros Casares in the finals on Apr. 1. Svetlana Abrosimova chipped in four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 15 minutes off the bench in the title match, supporting a loaded Spartak starting five that included Tina Thompson, Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Tamika Whitmore and Agnieszka Bibrzycka.

Meanwhile, Dynamo Moscow ran roughshod over the 2007 EuroCup field, earning a promotion to next season's 24-team EuroLeague field. Dynamo beat Italian side Faenza 74-61 and 76-56 in the home-and-home championship series, held Apr. 4 and 11. Seimone Augustus averaged 11.0 ppg and shot 56.3% against Faenza, while Núria Martínez chipped in 5.5 ppg (50.0%), 4.5 apg and 2.00 spg as the club's starting point guard. Other WNBA players on Dynamo's roster are forwards Rebekkah Brunson and Natalia Vodopyanova.

A rundown of the Lynx-affiliated players who spent all or part of their winters competing in Europe (statistics through Apr. 15):

Svetlana Abrosimova, Spartak (Russia)
* Abrosimova's club finished tied with Dynamo Moscow for second place in the Superleague at 17-5, and recently added Lauren Jackson to bolster its playoff run. Spartak won the opener of its best-of-three quarterfinal series with Dynamo Kursk on Saturday.
Superleague (18 games): 10.8 ppg (43.2%/33.3%/61.9%), 5.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.78 spg, 26.3 mpg
EuroLeague (10 games): 6.4 ppg (41.4%/35.3%/62.5%), 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.40 spg, 16.8 mpg

Seimone Augustus, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
* Dynamo Moscow placed second to CSKA Samara in January's annual Russian Cup tournament. Augustus poured in 29 points in the semifinal win over UMMC Ekaterinburg -- with coaches Don Zierden and Teresa Edwards in attendance -- hitting 13 of 18 shots.
Superleague (25 games): 14.2 ppg (58.0%/42.9%/82.8%), 3.7 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.28 spg, 21.7 mpg
EuroCup (14 games): 12.5 ppg (49.0%/36.0%/87.0%), 3.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.07 spg, 23.8 mpg

Megan Duffy, Rhondda Rebels (Wales)
* Duffy was Rhondda's leading scorer in EuroCup competition, and also tallied 20+ points in six of eight English League appearances before returning to the U.S. in January.
EuroCup (6 games): 18.5 ppg (43.8%/42.9%/78.9%), 4.5 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.17 spg, 38.3 mpg

Katryna Gaither, Dexia Namur (Belgium)
* Signed on Mar. 28, Gaither is playing for the Belgian League championship, where she netted 16 points and nine rebounds to help Dexia take a 2-0 lead over Waregem on Saturday. They can close out the series with a win on Wednesday.
EuroLeague (13 games): 14.1 ppg (47.8%/00.0%/65.9%), 9.7 rpg, 0.9 apg, 2.15 spg, 33.3 mpg

Kristi Harrower, US Valenciennes Olympic (France)
* Harrower led Valenciennes to a share of the French league title by going 22-4, the club's seventh consecutive regular-season championship. They'll begin postseason play next week, having finished runners-up in the Federation Cup on Sunday.
Ligue Feminine (27 games): 9.4 ppg (39.7%/29.4%/77.2%), 3.7 rpg, 5.3 apg, 2.22 spg, 30.1 mpg
EuroLeague (12 games): 12.6 ppg (52.2%/42.1%/68.2%), 4.5 rpg, 4.9 apg, 1.25 spg, 34.8 mpg

Amber Jacobs, Banco di Sicilia Ribera (Italy)
* Jacobs was Ribera's second-leading scorer during EuroCup competition, finishing among the league leaders in both three-point accuracy and free-throw accuracy. They also went 6-6 in Italian league play during her stay in Sicily.
LegA Femminile (12 games): 13.3 ppg (42.3%/37.7%/76.0%), 3.8 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.75 spg, 34.0 mpg
EuroCup (6 games): 15.7 ppg (47.0%/54.5%/95.2%), 4.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.50 spg, 32.0 mpg

Kristen Mann, Mersin (Turkey)
* Mann is currently involved in the Turkish League playoffs, helping Mersin upset Besiktas Cola Turka in their Apr. 13 series opener by exploding for 40 points. Mersin finished the regular season 10-12, good for seventh in the 12-team league.
TBBL (21 games): 17.5 ppg (49.0%/43.3%/74.1%), 7.5 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.67 spg, 38.3 mpg

Núria Martínez, Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
* In her first season in Russia, Martínez helped Dynamo Moscow to a second-place finish and handed out seven assists in the Game 1 win over Chevakata on Saturday. She will return to Spain in May to prepare for the European Championships this fall.
Superleague (24 games): 5.2 ppg (28.1%/32.7%/83.3%), 2.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.29 spg, 27.2 mpg
EuroCup (16 games): 7.3 ppg (45.2%/39.0%/73.5%), 2.3 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.38 spg, 27.3 mpg

Nicole Ohlde, Perfumerías Avenida (Spain)
* Ohlde helped Avenida to a runner-up finish in the annual Copa de la Reina tournament in Spain. They also put together an eight-game winning streak and went 13-4 before she returned to Minnesota in February.
Liga Femenina (21 games): 14.5 ppg (42.0%/00.0%/83.0%), 6.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.19 spg, 31.5 mpg
EuroLeague (12 games): 12.5 ppg (43.1%/00.0%/80.0%), 8.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.25 spg, 32.9 mpg