Whalen's free throws help Lynx avoid embarrassing loss, hold off Sun in overtime 111-103

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota Lynx blew a 30-point lead before recovering to beat the Connecticut Sun 111-103 in overtime on Tuesday night behind Lindsay Whalen's 27 points.

With the game tied at 103 with 52 seconds left, Whalen made six free throws down the stretch to help Minnesota avoid a disappointing loss. Seimone Augustus had 21 points and Nicky Anosike had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Lynx.

Whalen played with a heavy heart after her brother-in-law was found dead in a Minnesota lake on Sunday. The team held a moment of silence before the game.

The Sun (13-13) trailed by 30 midway through the second quarter, but Renee Montgomery made a 3-pointer at the end of regulation to force overtime. Montgomery had 33 points and Tina Charles added 19 points and 21 rebounds for Connecticut.

Augustus, Nicky Anosike and Monica Wright missed four of six free throws for Minnesota in the final seconds of regulation, setting up Montgomery's shot.

Anosike had 14 points and 12 rebounds, Wright finished with 17 points.

Minnesota scored a season-high 58 points in the first half and hit eight of its first 10 3-pointers.

Connecticut shot just 31.7 percent in the first half, missing its first 11 shots. It bounced back by crashing the boards and scoring 32 in the third quarter to trim Minnesota's lead to seven.

Connecticut handed the Lynx a 105-79 loss on May 27, but now have lost three straight and five of six.

The win helps the Lynx hold onto the fourth and final playoff spot in the West and builds on their momentum from beating Seattle, which owns league's best record, on Sunday.

Six of Minnesota's final next nine games are on the road.

NOTES: The Lynx signed F Kristen Mann and waived G Nuria Martinez. The 6-foot-1 Mann played three seasons with the Lynx after being drafted 11th overall by the team in 2005. She spent portions of 2008 and 2009 with Atlanta, Indiana and Washington. ... A fan in a purple No. 4 jersey sitting courtside held up a sign that said "We Want Favre Back!" during timeouts.