The Strib's Pam Schmid covers Minnesota's disappointing season with an array of optimistic quotes.

Lynx chief operating officer Roger Griffith, who pulled the trigger on the Katie Smith trade, says fans' "general feeling... is, 'OK, we'll give this a chance. We'll judge it next year rather than now.'"

Griffith also says coach McConnell-Serio will stay, and calls Lynx/Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor committed for the "long term."

McConnell-Serio opines that the Lynx might have made this year's playoffs absent the Katie trade, but favors the trade nonetheless: sounds like she got tired of the grinding, turnover-plagued, just-good-enough-to-make-the-playoffs basketball the Lynx played in June and July, and chose to lose now in order to go farther (not to mention faster) in years to come.

Lynx faithful can watch their very young team's new up-tempo look tonight against Sacramento; for Sac, the game means nothing at all.