MINNEAPOLIS (WNBA) - The Minnesota Lynx have one hand on the WNBA crown after blowing out the Atlanta Dream for the second time in three days.
Playing in front of a raucous Target Center crowd on Tuesday night, Seimone Augustus erupted for 20 points and the Lynx held Atlanta to 35.8% (24 of 67) shooting from the floor in an 88-63 rout.
Minnesota had rolled to an 84-59 victory in Game 1 on Sunday.
They will now try to sweep the Dream for the second time in three years when the teams meet at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth, about 20 minutes south of Atlanta, on Thursday evening.
Maya Moore, one of the three USA Olympic champions in the Lynx line-up (Augustus and Lindsay Whalen are the others), should have a lot of support at Game 3 because she grew up in Gwinnett County and fired Collins Hill High School, near Suwanee, Georgia, to three straight high school titles before launching an All-American collegiate career at the University of Connecticut.
She had 14 points and eight rebounds on Tuesday while the other three starters - Janel McCarville, Rebekkah Brunson and Whalen - also hit double digits in points.
In stark contrast to Atlanta's struggles from the field, Minnesota buried 56.9% (33 of 58) of their shots.
"We feel we have the best offensive team in the league," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said, "and one of the best defensive teams.
"I want to add a label. I think we have the smartest team in the league, when it comes to maturity and experience."
Minnesota are confident, but also know they have some work to do against a Dream team that is playing in the WNBA Finals for the third year in a row.
Atlanta are still looking for their first win in the Finals, however, because like Minnesota two years ago, the Indiana Fever swept them 3-0 in 2012.
"We know Atlanta is going to bring everything,'" Augustus said.
"They're going to throw the kitchen sink at us. We're expecting them to come out and try to do whatever they can to not be eliminated in Game 3."
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