Minnesota will look to solidify its spot atop the WNBA standings when the Lynx travel to San Antonio on Sunday to take on the Stars, who can only hope to play a spoiler role as the season winds down.
The Lynx (25-4) have won four in a row and nine of 10 games. They hold a 1 1/2 game lead over the Los Angeles Sparks for the best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
San Antonio is at the other end of the WNBA spectrum. The Stars have the worst record in the league at 6-24 and have lost five in a row.
The Lynx are coming off an epic battle against the Sparks on Tuesday. Minnesota went on a 13-1 run to take control at the end of the first period and they held on for a three-point victory.
Sylvia Fowles scored 21 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Maya Moore added 20 points.
The Stars will have to figure out how to stop MVP candidate Moore, who averages 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
And if Moore falters, Fowles is more than capable of stepping up to wreak havoc on the Stars. Fowles scores at a 13.7 clip per game and leads the Lynx with 8.8 rebounds per game.
Moriah Jefferson paces the Stars, who have struggled since leading scorer Kayla McBride was lost for the season in July. Jefferson scored a game-high 27 points in a loss on Friday to Dallas.
The Lynx have a distinct advantage in all aspects of the game. Minnesota averages 85.4 points and 35.9 rebounds per game. The Stars put up less than 73 points per game and give up nearly 81 points per game.
In two meetings earlier this year, the Lynx defeated the Stars by 23 on July 2 and by 24 on July 12. In the first game, Natasha Howard led a balanced attack with 21 points. Moore was "held" to 14 points in that game.
In the second game, Moore scored 24.
