Minnesota Sports Briefs: Lynx look to set new WNBA record

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PHOENIX - The WNBA Minnesota Lynx have a few more off days before Friday's battle with the Mercury in Phoenix. A victory Friday would give the Lynx the WNBA's first-ever 10-0 start to a season.

Minnesota opened the season with a 105-83 win over the Mercury and haven't lost since, posting a total of nine straight victories.

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The Minnesota Timberwolves hosted several top basketball prospects at a workout at the Target Center yesterday afternoon. Six prospects practiced, including Minnesota natives Royce White of Iowa State and Jordan Taylor of the Wisconsin Badgers. In addition, Draymond Green of Michigan State, Drew Gordon of New Mexico, Herb Pope of Seton Hall, and Reggie Hamilton of Oakland got a shot to impress the Wolves scouts and coaches. Representatives from other NBA teams will also be allowed to observe the players.

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The Timberwolves continued their annual caravan across Minnesota with a stop in Alexandria yesterday morning. Minnesota guard Wayne Ellington, forward Anthony Tolliver, and former NBA player Shawn Respert are on the tour this year. The three will conduct youth basketball clinics at each of the stops. The caravan makes a visit to Fairmont today.

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Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant scored 36 points to lead the Thunder to a 105-94 win over the Miami Heat in Game One of the NBA Finals. The Thunder outscored the Heat 58-40 in the second half in the opener of the best-of-seven series. LeBron James scored 30 points in the loss.

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The Minnesota Vikings will be back on the field next week for a mandatory three-day mini-camp. After Tuesday's OTA session in Winter Park, head coach Leslie Frazier said several players have stuck out in a positive way early this offseason. Frazier says linebacker Erin Henderson is becoming more of a leader of the field and cornerback Chris Carr, who was signed in the spring, seems to be a great addition to their secondary. Frazier also said rookie Robert Blanton is making great strides in his transition from cornerback to safety and that he expects great things from second-year tight-end Kyle Rudolph this upcoming season.

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The annual Minnesota Vikings golf tournament is set for today at Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove. The sold out event will feature more than 30 Vikings players including Christian Ponder, Toby Gerhart, and Kyle Rudolph. Several former Vikings players and coaches will also take part. The proceeds from the tournament go to the Vikings Children's Fund.

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Former Minnesota-Duluth defensive coordinator John Steger has returned to the school to assume his old position on the football coaching staff. Steger left the Bulldogs in 2010 to join the staff at Southern Illinois. Steger will replace outgoing defensive coordinator Todd Strop, who walked away from the job in April for personal reasons. The 49-year-old Steger first coached on the Bulldogs staff in 1999.

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Polls say a measure allowing the state to retire the University of North Dakota's controversial "Fighting Sioux" nickname and logo will have no trouble passing in today's primary election. A sampling of voters outside polling places today indicates nearly all voted "yes," which would allow UND to give up the moniker. One man said although he attended UND and the nickname has been honorable and positive for the school, "there comes a point in time where you don't cut off your nose to spite your face" The nickname issue has made UND the target of NCAA sanctions. Several long-time rivals, including the U-of-M, won't play UND unless it gives up the "Fighting Sioux" nickname.

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Day one of the boys' and girls' Minnesota State High School Golf championships is in the books. The defending Class 1A girls' championship team Lewiston-Altura holds a 13-shot lead in its class. Detroit Lakes is leading the Class 2A girls' field after the opening round. While New Prague sits atop the Class 3A girls' leaderboard after the first day. United South Central has a two-shot in the Class 1A boys' field. Detroit Lakes has the day one lead in the Class 2A boys' event. And, Moorhead is leading the Class 3A boys' field after yesterday's opening round. The Class 3A tourney is at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids. The Class 2A event is at Ridges at Sand Creek in Jordan. And, the 1A tournament is going on at Pebble Creek in Becker.

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Tiger Woods is ready and excited to compete in this week's U.S. Open. Woods and several other top stars addressed reporters at Tuesday's Media Day at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. The second major of the PGA season begins on Thursday. Woods won The Memorial two weeks ago and shared 18th the last time The Olympic Club hosted the U.S. Open in 1998. World number-two Rory McIlroy became the youngest U.S. Open winner since Bobby Jones in 1923 when he finished at 16-under 268 to capture his first major championship last year. His marks set records for lowest score and lowest score in relation to par in U.S. Open history.

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