MINNEAPOLIS — The Utah Starzz (7-5) have twice beaten expansion Seattle without Natalie Williams, extending their win streak to a franchise-record fourth straight victory on Tuesday in the Delta Center.
But the ante goes up Thursday night.
The Starzz — with Williams (back spasms) staying at home in Salt Lake City and LaTonya Johnson's mild-to-moderate ankle sprain a likely game-time decision — will attempt to tiptoe past what looks to be a good team Thursday night at 6 MDT in the Target Center.
The Minnesota Lynx (6-4) had put together a five-game win streak, and forward Katie Smith was named WNBA Player of the Week for last week, when the league's leading scorer averaged 22.7 points and was 18-for-18 from the free-throw line.
The Lynx, however, have lost their past two games, to Houston and Phoenix, and the most physical team in the league is probably not in a mood to feel sorry for the Starzz and their injury list.
Quoted on WNBA.com, Minnesota's Smith said of Tuesday's home loss to Phoenix, "I had really good looks and couldn't knock them down, and we didn't get to the free-throw line enough. We need to keep this one in our minds, but maybe it's out of our system, and we can move on."
To the crippled Starzz, no doubt.
In Williams' absence, 7-foot-2 Starzz center Margo Dydek stepped up her play with 16 points Sunday at Seattle and a season-high 17 in the win over Seattle in the Delta Center. In the two games without Williams, Dydek totaled seven blocked shots, 15 rebounds and three assists and shot 9-for-12 from the field, 15-for-16 at the free-throw line. With her patrolling the lane, Seattle forwards combined to shoot 16-for-56 in the two games.
Adrienne Goodson rebounded from a four-point game at Seattle to score 23 Tuesday, her 37th double-figure game in 38 tries.
If the Starzz's win streak survives Thursday's task, things get tougher Friday night in the Delta Center when the Starzz travel back from Minnesota to host the WNBA-champion Houston Comets for the final time this season. Utah has twice lost to the Comets already and will finish its schedule against them without injured point guard Jennifer Azzi (broken hand, still 10 days to two weeks away from returning).
And Houston is coming off a loss at Los Angeles Tuesday that broke their six-game win streak.