Lynx guard Cruz questionable for Friday's game

Her right ankle wrapped, Lynx guard Anna Cruz did not practice with the Lynx today.

Cruz injured the ankle late in Wednesday's victory over Los Angeles, was helped off the court and limped to the locker room.

After the game, moving rather well, Cruz held out hope she could play Friday against Atlanta. After Thursday's practice, coach Cheryl Reeve labeled Cruz's injury as a mild strain and said Cruz was 50-50 for Friday's game, saying it would be a game-time decision.

"We list her as day-today, and in the questionable category,'' Reeve said. "We know she'll work around the clock to get herself ready to go. She's not a player who wants to sit out, that's for sure. If she can go, she will go.''

That said, I would be surprised if she played.

The Lynx are entering a difficult stretch. Starting Friday they will play three games in five days. That includes back-to-back games Friday, then Saturday in Tulsa. The game vs. the Shock is the first in a three-game road trip that goes to Los Angeles Tuesday and to Phoenix next Friday.

Reeve said she's sure that Cruz will be available for at least one of the next three games.

If Cruz can't go, that means Renee Montgomery's minutes will ramp up with her moving into the starting lineup. Tricia Liston would also likely get more minutes.

Here are some other items from practice:

--Montgomery, who wore 21 in Seattle before being traded here, will be getting that number back. She switched to 24 when she came here, because rookie Reshanda Gray had 21. But with Gray sent to Atlanta in the Sylvia Fowles deal, 21 became available.

--Both Gray and Damiris Dantas were sent to Atlanta in that three-team deal this week. And both players saw extensive action in Atlanta's loss to San Antonio Wednesday. Dantas started and scored six points with seven rebounds in 33 minutes. Gray came off the bench and scored a career-high 13 points in 14 minutes.

Reeve said she is glad the schedule allowed her to see her former players so quickly after the draft. "I'm going to be happy to see them," she said. "We want them to do well.''

--Dream star Angel McCoughtry has apparently been bothered by a groin injury. Perhaps that's why she came off the bench for the Dream Wednesday.

--Reeve said that, after reviewing the film of Wednesday's victory over the Sparks – which came despite L.A. shooting 56.4 percent – she thought her defense didn't play as poorly as she originally thought. It was more a case, she said, of L.A. making a number of good shots.

That's about it for now. I'll get back to you before Friday's game.