Riding a string of strong performances, Minnesota Lynx standout and All-Star MVP Maya Moore is moving closer to entering the WNBA record book.
Moore will look to post her 11th consecutive 20-point game and help the league-leading Lynx hand the reeling Tulsa Shock their sixth straight loss Saturday night.
Despite the recent acquisition of standout veteran Sylvia Fowles, Moore remains the undisputed leader for Minnesota (14-4). The fifth-year forward had 21 points and 10 rebounds Friday night in a 86-70 victory over Atlanta to continue closing in on Diana Taurasi's league record of 13 straight games with at least 20 set from 2006-07.
"I just keep playing, keep cutting hard, keep believing and keep trying to fight," Moore told the league's official website.
Moore's streak includes a season-best 32 points in a 79-72 win at Tulsa on July 19, one of two victories in three meetings with the Shock this season. Tulsa did keep Moore somewhat quiet in its 86-78 road win June 21, holding her to 16 points on 5-of-14 shooting after she scored 23 in an 83-75 home win June 5 in the season opener.
Somewhat lost in the attention given to Moore's scoring binge has been her strong overall play, which has resulted in 84 rebounds and 43 assists during the streak. She is shooting 45.0 percent (91 for 202) during her run, including 44.7 (30 for 67) from 3-point range.
Minnesota is also showing plenty of balance as a team with Moore's scoring output Friday one of five in double figures. Lindsay Whalen had 15 points, Fowles and Asjha Jones each added 12 and Tricia Liston 10 to help the Lynx win for the sixth time in seven games.
The Dream were also forced into 20 turnovers that Minnesota converted into 23 points.
While the Lynx don't appear to be slowing down, the Shock (10-9) have been swooning since losing All-Star guard Skylar Diggins for the season to a torn ACL. Tulsa was riding a team-record eight-game win streak when Diggins was hurt, and she had been playing so well she eventually earned Western Conference player of the month honors for June.
It's been all downhill since for the Shock, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games without Diggins with a tough 78-66 defeat against Phoenix on Thursday. Tulsa wasted a 12-point lead in the third quarter and allowed the Mercury to close the game on a 19-5 run.
Odyssey Sims scored 16 points, 13 in the first half, and Plenette Pierson added 14 for the Shock, who shot just 29.2 percent from the field, including 6 of 22 from long range.
Tulsa hasn't lost six in a row since June 23-July 13, 2013, and is 0-3 so far on a four-game homestand after opening the season with six straight home wins.
