Second championship is Minnesota's for the taking.

Maya Moore and the talent loaded Lynx are the favorite to win the WNBA Championship. (photo by David Sherman)

How good are the Minnesota Lynx?

In 2011 their 27-7 record was the best in the league and they won the championship after going 7-1 in the playoffs.  The 2012 team returns 96.1% of their points, 93.6% of the rebounds, 95.1% of the assists and 93.9% of the minutes of that championship team.

How good are the Minnesota Lynx?

Three of their five starters are members of the 12 player US Olympic Team.  A fourth starter was among the final 9 players cut and their sixth player was invited to the initial tryouts.

How good are the Minnesota Lynx?

They are a team without a significant weakness.

How good are the Minnesota Lynx?

Not only is the WNBA Championship theirs to lose, it will take a major effort, or a number of injuries, for them to lose it.

The closest thing to a question mark on the team is the post game.   At power forward, Rebekkah Brunson has consistently improved over her time in the league. She led the team in rebounding last season, with 8.9 a game and her 13.0 points a game was the highest total of her career.  After entering the league with little fanfare, she has become one of the best pure power forwards in the league and was one of the last nine players cut in the Olympic trials.

In the middle, Taj McWilliams-Franklin returns.  At 41, she is the league’s oldest player and, while she has lost a step and is not as productive as she once was, she provides invaluable leadership to the Lynx.  Even though her numbers are down somewhat, her 8.3 points and 6 rebounds a game last season proved that she is still a capable player.  She will be counted on to provide leadership again this year as the team works to avoid complacency.  At some point, age will catch up with her.  If she suddenly starts acting her age, Minnesota has three young players who look to have the potential to step into her large shoes.  Jessica Adair, Amber Harris, and, this year’s top draft choice, Devereaux Peters provide a world of potential but little experience.  Ideally, they will have a year to learn from McWilliams-Franklin but they should collectively be able to step in should she falter. 

On the wing, the Lynx have the league’s best duo.  Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore will return as the starters at small forward and shooting guard.  Each of them is among the best players in the league as evidenced by the fact both will be key players on this year’s Olympic team.  One of the keys to last year’s success was the maturity of Augustus.  She went from being the unquestioned star of a bad team to one of the stars of a championship team.  She did so without complaint or pouting, and her leadership is vital to the team.  She was also the player who stepped up when the team most needed her.  In the playoffs her scoring average went up by 6 points a game and her numbers across the board were better than they had been during the regular season.  Moore meanwhile came into the league as the most heralded player since Candace Parker.  Her rookie numbers of 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists a game were outstanding, but she is capable of more and may well have a break-out season.

Backing up Augustus and Moore are Candice Wiggins and Monica Wright.  Both were All Americans in college and each could start for number of teams in the league. Wiggins, in particular, brings the team a spark of the bench that is invaluable.  Her energizer bunny style of play frequently elevates the play of her team when she enters the game. Wiggins is another player who has accepted a role on the Lynx that is smaller than she could have another teams.

At point guard, Lindsay Whalen returns after having her best season ever.  Whalen, the team’s third olympian, averaged 13.6 points while shooting over 51% from the field and her 5.9 assists a game were her best ever.  She also ran coach Cheryl Reeve’s offense to near perfection.  Whalen is the perfect point guard for this team. She not only runs the offense extremely well, but she makes sure that the many stars are involved and that each player is able to contribute as much as possible offensively.  The trade of Alexis Hornbuckle leaves the team without a true backup for Whalen, but Wiggins is perfectly capable of playing the spot for a 10 minutes a game with out hurting her team.

The key issue facing Reeve will be complacency and over-confidence.  Last season was not only the Lynx’ first championship, it was their first time ever in the playoffs.  They will have a major target on their backs this season and will have to play with more intensity and focus than they did last season.  Repeating as champion in the WNBA is not easy.  Houston won the league’s first four championships and Los Angeles the next two but no team has repeated since then.  Realistically the only two things that should keep Minnesota from breaking that streak would be injuries or problems between their ears.  Reeve is an excellent coach and this is a team with excellent leadership and chemistry.  They also have the real potential to be a better team than they were in 2011.  Expect them to hold the championship trophy again this season.