MINNEAPOLIS (AP)—With a young roster, the Minnesota Lynx weren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot this season.
The Lynx are in position with seven games left, but now must finish things on the road.
Rookie Candice Wiggins scored 22 points, and fellow reserve Vanessa Hayden-Johnson added 11 to lead Minnesota past the Washington Mystics 92-78 on Saturday night. The Lynx begin a four-game road stretch, and play five of their last seven away from the Target Center.
Minnesota (14-13) moved ahead of Houston into fifth place in the Western Conference, one spot out of the playoffs and a game behind fourth-place Sacramento (16-13). The Lynx have the conference’s second-best road record at 6-6.
In nine seasons, Minnesota has reached the playoffs just twice, in 2002 and 2004.
“This is where people are writing us off. We understand that,” coach Don Zierden said. “These young players have fought all year. I am just so proud of them. Last year at this time we were already looking at the draft, lotteries and all that type of stuff. Now, we are in the playoff mix.”
Wiggins scored 15 points in the second half and led five players in double figures. Hayden-Johnson finished 5-of-8 shooting and had nine rebounds for the Lynx, who have won three of their last four games.
“We really pride ourselves on coming off the bench,” Wiggins said. “Making an impact, whether it’s defensively getting a stop or getting a rebound. Getting other people involved, pumping each other up, I think that’s what it is. It’s not just about scoring points. It’s about making an impact on the game.”
In her return after playing with the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing, Seimone Augustus scored 12 points but was just 4-for-16 from the field.
Alana Beard scored 27 for the Mystics (10-18), who have lost two in a row after winning two of new coach Jessie Kenlaw’s first three games. Kenlaw replaced Tree Rollins on July 19.
Beard, who was among the final cuts for the Olympics, keyed a second-quarter run as Washington took its only lead at 28-26. The Lynx answered with an 18-5 run on their way to a 46-38 halftime lead.
“They have a great young team and do a good job of playing together,” Beard said. “I think they have a good mixture of youth and vets, but they have more youth. They come in and know their roles.”
