PHOENIX -- Think about all the damage that the Minnesota Lynx can do with their big names. Eric Gagne Canada Jersey . It almost seems like overkill, then, that one of their most productive players in Sundays 82-67 WNBA semifinal series-clinching victory over Phoenix is someone they picked up in a trade in February without expecting shed make this big an impact.Sometimes getting lucky is good, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. We didnt necessarily know what we were getting in Natasha Howard.But theres that saying that the harder you work, the luckier you get. The Lynx as an organization have worked very hard to build what has now stretched into six seasons of excellence, and theyll be going for their fourth WNBA title in that stretch.The play of Howard -- who had 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and eight rebounds Sunday -- is just one example of the culture the Lynx have built. Their incredibly strong core of key players -- Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson -- have been together since the franchises first championship in 2011.The personnel moves the Lynx have made since then all have been with the goal of making an already great team even a little harder to beat. Look at the players added to the Lynx this year and last year, which include the likes of Sylvia Fowles, Renee Montgomery, Anna Cruz, Jia Perkins and Howard. Theyve all contributed specific things to the Lynx without taking anything away.UConn and USA Basketball coach Geno Auriemma always says that teams either get better or they get worse, but they dont just stay the same. The Lynx, who have become the WNBAs version of UConn in terms of sustained success, are an example of what hes talking about. Theyve continued to get better.Its all about being selfless, and thats the culture of our team, Reeve said. And we want to make sure we add those pieces that subscribe to that mentality. All the credit should go to the core players that we have, because other players want to play with them. Theyre tremendous superstars, yet theyre so humble and supportive.You watch them on the bench when theyre not in the game, and they have a lot of fun over there rooting for other players. Its genuine, and thats how they are all the time.The Lynx might be having a blast, but their opponents arent. Minnesota had the best regular-season record in franchise history (28-6) this year. The Lynx won all three of the semifinal games against Phoenix by double digits. Minnesota was the No. 1 seed and Phoenix No. 8, so the Lynx obviously were a big favorite. But remember, a few months ago, a lot of people predicted Phoenix would be the top contender for the title this year.Reeve complimented the Mercury on how much effort they put into these playoff games, but she also felt that the Lynx had enough high-quality depth that they could wear out Phoenix. And that happened. Led by Howard, the Lynx bench got 29 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.Indiana took Howard, out of Florida State, with the No. 5 pick in the 2014 draft. She had a solid rookie season for the Fever, averaging 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds. Her numbers dropped off a little last season, but the potential was still there.The Lynx were expecting to bring back post player Devereaux Peters, who was their third pick in the 2012 draft, this season. She had been a Minnesota reserve for four seasons. But Reeve said Peters wanted to play elsewhere. Hence, a deal with Indiana for Howard earlier this year.Howard has worked out well for Minnesota, as have the others, such as Fowles, who sat out until late July 2015 to force a trade to the Lynx from Chicago. She was the WNBA Finals MVP last year and recently was named the 2016 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.And guards such as Perkins and Montgomery are veterans who provide a different look, especially on defense, to help spell Augustus and Whalen.Im excited, happy and thankful that weve created an environment here that people want to be a part of, said Augustus, the longest-tenured Lynx player going back to being chosen No. 1 in the 2006 WNBA draft. Jia or Renee could have gone somewhere else and probably started. Thats what we pride ourselves on: We have a great team of athletes, but also a great team of people.For Moore, who has had another MVP-caliber season, the long-term chemistry the Lynx possess is a thing of wonderment.Its like being in unchartered waters, said Moore, who had 20 points and six rebounds Sunday. If you have that kind of feeling in high school or college, those are four years. With the pros ... maybe two or three years would be good. But this is year six for us. Its like, Wow. And theres no question that its people from the top down, starting with our owner, that make that happen.At different times on this team, people might have a tired day, and someones always there to pick them up. Were constantly looking out for each other.Before the Olympic break this season, the Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks were neck-and-neck as the top teams in the WNBA. Since the break, Minnesota clearly has been the best.The Sparks, who beat the Lynx at Minnesota in late June but lost two other times to them, still seem to have the best chance to derail the defending champions. But Los Angeles will have to get into the WNBA Finals first; they lost 70-66 in their Game 3 at Chicago on Sunday. The Sparks will try again to close out the series with the Sky on Tuesday (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET).Meanwhile the Lynx will take the opportunity to get some rest as they wait to see whom they will face in their fifth trip to the WNBA Finals in the past six years.This group has been a very special group. And the vibe ... I think its because they all have a piece in this, Reeve said. Its been very, very rewarding for me, watching them throughout the season. World Baseball Classic Jerseys 2017 . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Team Venezuela Baseball Jerseys . The 18-year-old American had five birdies in her bogey-free round for a 17-under total of 196. Lee held the overnight lead but mixed three birdies with two bogeys for a 70. http://www.theworldbaseballclassic.com/Pat-Venditte-Team-Italy-Jersey/ . And when it opened, every player was at his stall. Thats a sure sign that a team is in a slump and is searching for answers. "Its embarrassing to be at home and play the way we did," said defenceman Josh Gorges. New Zealand 203 Australia 63A cricket score?No, the final points tally of Trans-Tasman duels on one of the most demoralising weekends experienced by Australian teams in the history of the Super Rugby competition.If four bewildering, and in several cases downright embarrassing losses is not enough to send Australian rugby fans around the twist, the only local team not confronting a New Zealand rival over the last few days just added to the despair.More bafflement as the Western Force continue to show they are hovering near the basket case category- with off-field shenanigans followed by only scant resistance against the Stormers to finish their home season with zero victories in Perth.Admittedly numerous Australian provinces have lost their way in South Africa, with the Waratahs and Brumbies involved in their own infamous off-field moments, while Wallabies tourists have been forced to send players home for misbehaving.Still at a delicate period in the Forces history- where the Australian Rugby Union have taken over their finances, coach Michael Foley sacked for under-achieving, and many seriously questioning whether it is worth persevering with a province in Perth- it was not the perfect time for it to be revealed how they lost their way in Bloemfontein.As the Australian Super Rugby thrashings continued on through Friday and Saturday, the Australian Rugby Union issued a media release which named Test player Dane Haylett-Petty as the person who urinated in the hallway of the Southern Sun hotel in Bloemfontein, while a past Wallaby, Pek Cowan had driven the team bus without permission.Both were fined $5000 from these incidents which occurred when the players had a big night on the town, broke curfews and were involved in scuffles after losing 30-29 to the Cheetahs. That these mishaps took so long to be revealed showed there is something seriously amiss at the core of the Force organisation. For a considerable amount of time, that province has needed an enormous shake-up, and hopefully the ARU can achieve that.Even more exasperating is that at a time when after England came, saw, conquered and spat out the Wallabies in a three-Test series, the belief of the local support base has been further undermined by the New Zealand provinces brutally showing how far behind their Australian counterparts are.In terms of basic skills, depth in numbers, planning and most importantly intelligence, Australian teams come nowhere near the New Zealand brand. They are not on the same page, a disconcerting sign with a Bledislloe Cup series starting in six weeks. Tiago da Silva Italy Jersey. .As during the England Test series, Australian players- at both international and provincial level- continually confound you in showing how dumb they can be. Their tactics are often misguided, constantly playing into the hands of their opponents, as is their failure to adapt. Their belief also has to be questioned.On the weekend, you had two teams fighting for a confirmed finals berth by finishing top of the Australian conference- and one (the Brumbies) were strangely listless while the other (the Waratahs) just wasted chance after chance. It was as if neither actually had their heart and soul into becoming number one. The level of hunger, in particular by the Brumbies, has to be questioned.The Waratahs showed considerable pluck, but in the big moments were too frazzled, too loose and too disjointed to make a proper impact. There were too many errors. Too many penalties.The Hurricanes also outsmarted them. They made certain that the play was directed away from their biggest threat- Israel Folau- and so his impact was minimal. The first time you were reminded that Folau was actually playing was when early in the second half he danced and pranced around five Hurricanes defenders to score and give the Waratahs the lead. Then he became a spectator again, and the Hurricanes shot away.Elsewhere the Australian provinces were little more than cardboard cut-outs. The Brumbies forgot how to tackle; the Reds were clueless, the Rebels looked lost- and so suffered diabolical losses- 25, 45 and 59 points respectively. Its no wonder that at times watching these often loopy encounters felt like sheer torture. Sometimes you had to look away, or slap yourself to be convinced that it was actually real.So only one Australian team can make the finals cut, a barren outcome when compared to four New Zealand teams and three South African sides which will be part of the title charge. Unless there is a dramatic transformation, you would not expect the Australian sole finals representative- most likely to be the Brumbies- to be hanging around for that long either.As Australian Rugby once again hits rock bottom, the natural instinct is to convince yourself that it can only get better... because surely it cant get any worse.For that transformation to occur depends so much on whether Wallabies coach Michael Cheika can prove he is the master resuscitator. Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China NFL Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '