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Moore scores 32 in Lynx’s 93-82 win over Shock

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW KRAMMER
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After a rocky midseason stretch, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve believes the defending-champion Lynx have just started to play their best basketball.

Maya Moore scored 32 points and the Lynx handed the Tulsa Shock their fifth straight loss with a 93-82 win on Wednesday afternoon.

“A strong, strong testament to how good Lindsay (Whalen) and Maya are to be sitting here at 17-6,” Reeve said. “With all we’ve been through, it’s a testament to the leadership of Lindsay and Maya.”

After a .500 record across a 12-game stretch in late June and early July, the Lynx have now won four straight heading into the All-Star break this weekend — but the Shock (7-15) didn’t make it easy.

The Lynx jumped out to double-digit leads in the first, second and third quarters, but saw them each erased by the Shock’s efficient offense. Led by second-year player Skylar Diggins’ 19 points, the Shock were plagued by 16 turnovers, which led to fast-break opportunities and 26 points for Minnesota.

Moore, the WNBA’s leading scorer, continued her MVP-like season as she was one of six Lynx players to score in double figures. With her team’s lead dwindling to as little as three points, Moore scored 12 of her points in the fourth quarter.

The Lynx never trailed.

“Maya’s the Michael Jordan of this league,” Shock coach Fred Williams said. “When you have guards and players like her and Whalen, they make a lot of great plays together. But we learned a lot from this game.”

Whalen, who was announced as an All-Star reserve on Tuesday, commanded a Minnesota offense that shot 49 percent from the field and produced 21 assists — on par with their league-leading 20 assists per game. She’ll be joined by teammates Moore), Seimone Augustus and coach Reeve at the All-Star game on Saturday.

“When we can get the rebound secured, we can push,” Moore said. “We have great athletes on this team. Lindsay Whalen, she’s hockey like, the way she runs and feels the floor.”

Even though the Shock got efficient offense out of their starters — Diggins, Glory Johnson, Odyssey Sims and Courtney Paris combined to shoot 44 percent — they failed to capitalize when the score drew close.

Tulsa pulled within 77-74 with four minutes left in the game before a 15-6 run by the Lynx put the game away. Lynx guard Monica Wright had three of her career-high five steals in the final four minutes.

“We had that stretch where we were a .500 ball club for 12 games,” Reeve said. “We’re not accustom to that. Twelve games is a long time for us to be mediocre. I think we’re on the other side of that, and our trajectory is upward. We haven’t peaked.”

Minnesota overcame the absence of Augustus for the seventh straight game as she sat out with bursitis in her left knee. Rebekkah Brunson also continued to sit and rehab her right knee after May surgery has kept her out all season.

The Lynx plan on both Brunson and Augustus returning to the lineup at some point after the All-Star break.

“We know what we need to do for those next 11 games,” Reeve said. “Without the shortcomings, we may not have known that.”

The Lynx hosted thousands of children for their annual Camp Day at the Target Center. Minnesota announced 16,413 in attendance, setting a regular-season franchise record.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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