Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve did not get a reprieve from questions about "the streak" Friday night.
Not when her Lynx comfortably defeated the Phoenix Mercury 78-60 at US Airways Center, taking sole possession of the WNBA record for most consecutive victories to start a season.
The previous mark of nine was reached twice by the Los Angeles Sparks, who did so in 2001 and 2003.
Although Minnesota (10-0) refuses to place any hype on this unprecedented start, they continue to receive praise and aura from the league and the local Twin Cities market, where the major professional sports teams have done nothing to veer attention away from a female sport.
The pattern will likely persist until the undefeated record is no more, although the proposition is increasingly harder for fans and beat reporters to fathom.
Minnesota's performance against Phoenix (2-6) added another example of this trend. Accuracy was nowhere to be found, with the Lynx making only 38.9 percent of their field goals. However, the number was tolerable as the Mercury fared even worse with open looks and contested shots, finishing with a field goal percentage of 28.8.
Despite the lack of scorebook activity compared to the overall series, Minnesota continued to demonstrate their mastery of an offensive tempo Phoenix was once revered for, gaining a 21-8 edge in fast break points.
Minnesota guard Lindsay Whalen, the darling among local press, provided the boost after a quiet start to the season. She scored a season-high 29 points, hitting 11 of 14 field goals to give the Lynx enough distance with her teammates unable to replicate her efficiency.
Seimone Augustus, returning from a two-game absence due to a right quad muscle strain, contributed 14 points. Reserve guard Moncia Wright earned 11.
With Whalen going off and Minnesota keeping their motivation at full power, Phoenix had no chance. DeWanna Bonner led the Mercury with 18 points, but drained only five of 16 shots. Candice Dupree added a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The next streak that will likely lead future stories is the overall mark for most consecutive wins. The current record is 18, set in 2001 by the Sparks. Dating back to the 2011 regular season, Minnesota has won 13 straight games.
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