Moore, Lynx Open Playoffs Friday

Former Husker Lindsey Moore joins the Minnesota Lynx for the opening round of the WNBA Playoffs on Friday. The 2013 first-round draft pick saw increased playing time late in the season for the Lynx.

The Lynx, who earned the No. 1 seed in the West Conference after rolling to a 26-8 regular-season record, open a best-of-three series with the Seattle Storm at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. (CT). Game one of the series will be televised live by NBA TV. Game two in the series is set for Sunday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m. at the Tacoma Dome, with live teleivision coverage on ESPN2.

The Lynx are 4-0 against the Storm this season with all four victories by double digits.

"I'm really excited for the start of the playoffs," Moore said Thursday from Minnesota. "I might be even more excited than I was for the NCAA Tournament this year. It is an amazing feeling to be part of a team that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs in the best league in the world."

An honorable-mention All-American point guard that helped lead the Huskers to the 2013 NCAA Sweet 16, Moore has played in 23 games for the Lynx this season in a backup role to Minnesota All-Star and Olympian Lindsey Whalen. Moore, a 5-9 native of Covington, Wash., averaged 1.0 point and 1.0 assist in 5.7 minutes per game on the year.

However, as the Lynx began to gear up for the playoffs, Moore earned more playing time. In the final three regular-season games, Moore averaged 14.7 minutes per contest, averaging 2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She played more than 14 minutes in Minnesota's last meeting with the Storm on Sept. 10, dishing out three assists in a 73-60 victory at KeyArena in Seattle.

"It is kind of crazy when you think about it. If we just take care of our business in our home games in the playoffs, then we are going to be the WNBA champions," Moore said. "That's huge knowing you have that advantage, but of course, you still have to go out and win the games, no matter where you are."

While Moore hopes to make a deep playoff run with the Lynx, Nebraska's other active WNBA player Kelsey Griffin, had her season come to an end with the Connecticut Sun last week. The Sun finished the year 10-24 and did not earn a playoff spot. 

Griffin provided one of the bright spots for the Sun in her fourth WNBA season. The 6-2 forward from Eagle River, Alaska started all 34 games. Griffin finished with career-best individual averages of 8.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Griffin has played 133 career WNBA games with 61 starts and owns career averages of 5.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

She left the United States to rejoin her Bendigo Spirit WNBL team in Australia this week. Griffin was the MVP of the WNBL Grand Final a year ago, while leading Bendigo to the league championship.

Moore will also continue her first professional season overseas following the conclusion of her WNBA season. She has signed a European contract with La Spezia in Italy.