MINNEAPOLIS -- In basketball parlance, the term isnt original. A Google search turns up multiple DVDs and articles with the same phrase Minnesota Lynx associate head coach Jim Petersen used to describe one aspect of the teams workouts during the WNBAs Olympic break.Its a phrase that conjures white gloves, proper posture and old-fashioned roles for women that, thankfully, no longer apply.But its perfect for what Petersen is trying to accomplish: finishing school.For Lynx players, it means laying the ball in the basket time after time while Petersen, a 6-foot-10 former NBA post player with a shaved head, slides at them yelling Hey! or something equally distracting.Its being able to finish when youre driving to the basket over a big thats stepping up, instead of panicking and looking for somebody to pass to and turning it over, Petersen said. How many times have you seen us do that in the pick-and-roll game, driving into the paint and turning it over?Often enough that Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told Petersen and assistant coach Shelley Patterson to emphasize it while she was away in Rio assisting Geno Auriemma as the U.S. womens basketball team won its sixth consecutive gold medal.The WNBA shut down for four weeks during the Olympics. That break, commonly known as the hiatus, is often the only time players can find time to work on their games.Because the league pays so little compared to the NBA (top salaries run about $104,000), women must play overseas in the winter to make serious money. The 11-month grind of games leaves little time for hoisting 500 jumpers a day or any other improvement drill.The break gives us the opportunity to do something we dont get to do much in our league -- skill development, Reeve said prior to leaving for the Rio Games.By league rules, players get at least seven days off between their last WNBA game and the start of workouts. And those workouts cant be as frequent or demanding as training camp.So the Lynx -- who have the WNBAs second-best record at 21-4, just a half game behind league-leader Los Angeles -- trained Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. With Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen and Sylvia Fowles competing in Rio, Petersen and Patterson supervised starting power forward Rebekkah Brunson and five reserves.Basically, what Cheryl wants us to focus on is execution, and improve on things players are deficient at, Petersen said.With the guards, were working a ton on in-between game, finishing moves, floater game, adding things to their game they dont have. The other thing thats really important, we never have time to make them work on perfect shooting. Its a lot of reps, making perfect shots, shots in a row. Theyre working on perfect shots on one end, and finishing on the other.Lynx backup forward Keisha Hampton, a 26-year-old rookie from DePaul, relished the time. A knee injury as a senior kept Hampton out for more than a year, and she struggled adjusting from college power forward to pro small forward.She never played a minute for Seattle, which drafted her in 2012, or for Connecticut, which signed her in 2014 and cut her in training camp.Hamptons strong 2015-16 season in Israel, averaging a team-leading 17.8 points per game for Bnot Hertzeliya, attracted Reeves attention. In camp, Hampton had one goal: make the team. She hardly played at first. Now her role off the bench is growing.Im still developing my ball skills, becoming a real wing, not like a 4-3, more like a 3-4 now, Hampton said. Im working with [video coordinator Wes Bohn], Jim P. and Shelley on ball handling, finishing, decision-making, trying to expand my guard game.The break also allowed the coaches and players to dive deeper into Reeves playbook, learning nuances to better understand their foundation and exploit certain options.Its small things, Brunson said. Going through the offense, making sure we understand exactly what you want to get. When you put the offense in, you get the grasp of it, but you might miss a couple of details. Everything happens so fast, especially getting new players in. Its going through the offense and making sure we all understand what were trying to accomplish.Four years ago, Petersen said Moore, Augustus and Whalen returned from the London Olympics exhausted, and the Lynx lacked the bench depth to rest them. (Fowles was still playing with Chicago.) The Lynx won nine straight out of the break anyway and reached the WNBA Finals, losing to Indiana.This year, with veteran guards Jia Perkins and Renee Montgomery, impressive young forward Natasha Howard, plus Hampton and Janel McCarville in reserve, the Lynx expect to give the Olympians time to ease back into things. Even before the hiatus, Reeve leaned on her bench much more than previous seasons.This group right here could legitimately win basketball games, Petersen said after a recent practice at the Mayo Clinic Square. Renee, Jia and J-Mac [McCarville] have been starters. Brunson is a starter. Hampton is coming on. Natasha Howard ? [has] been simply amazing.The thing about being a second-team player, youve got to be ready to run anything, because you could be in there with a combination of starters running starter play sets. So theyve got to know the entire playbook.Another benefit for Brunson: getting to know her newer teammates better. The Lynx often schedule fun non-basketball activities on days between workouts. Early on the group met for whirlyball, a mash-up of hockey, basketball and lacrosse played in bumper cars.It was very entertaining, Brunson said, laughing. It was fun. You dont get a chance to do those type of things. 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Cheap NHL Jerseys Fast Shipping . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. ATLANTA -- Pirates manager Clint Hurdle is sitting Andrew McCutchen for three straight days.McCutchen, the 2013 NL MVP, says hes OK with the decision even if he doesnt agree with it. The outfielder sat out Pittsburghs victory Tuesday night over Atlanta and will not be in the lineup the next two nights because of a season-long slump.I have to first address myself before I can think about addressing anything else, McCutchen told The Associated Press. I know if I was going out and playing the best ball that I know I can play that I wouldnt be in this position.They wouldnt be in the position of having to make those decisions, either.McCutchen, a five-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger, hit .298 in his first seven seasons with Pittsburgh. In 97 games this year, he has a .241 average and is on pace for a career high in strikeouts.After watching McCutchen go 1 for 12 in a three-game series last weekend at Milwaukee, Hurdle called McCutchen into his office Sunday to tell him that he would not be in the lineup for a three-game series against the Braves.Hes tried a lot of things, Hurdle said in his pre-game talk with reporters. This mans fought, shown up, done early work, late work, side work, video work. In situations like this where Ive seen it happen with good players, you just unplug em. The managers got to do it. Im just asking him to sign off on it.He obviously has a lot of fight in him and wants to continue. But its like hitting refresh button.Unless a game against the Braves goes extra innings, Hurdle wants to give McCutchen four straight days of rest. The Pirates were off on Monday.Thats the tough pill to swallow for me personally, McCutchen told The AP. Wanting to be in the lineup and them feeling that this would be a good time for me to unwind, to chill, to get my head right -- the compettitive side of me is like, `No, Im good.dddddddddddd Im fine. Im going to perform and do my job.Theyre like, `For your own sake, this is what we feel. Matt Joyce was in left field for the second straight night. Starling Marte was in center field, Gregory Polanco in right.McCutchen says it was tough accepting the trades that shipped out Francisco Liriano, Pittsburghs opening day starter, to Toronto for Drew Hutchison and closer Mark Melancon to Washington for Felipe Rivero and a prospect.The Pirates began Wednesday three games out in the NL wild-card standings. Theyve been to the playoffs the last three years, so McCutchen didnt necessarily want to make big roster changes at the trade deadline.Youre going to feel one way about certain things because you have teammates, you have friends and you hate to lose anybody, he said. Hate to see anybody go. Those are your brothers.McCutchen insisted that he trusts the Pirates front office to keep the club competitive.Understanding the business, understanding that we do have -- performing -- and they have a job as well, he said. Thats the main thing, to give us the team to produce. Just as its hard for us to understand what they do, Im sure its vice versa with them.Hurdle hopes McCutchen will benefit from the time off. He plans to put him back in the lineup Friday at home against Cincinnati.I dont know what it feels like to have the resume he has and go through the challenges hes had this year, Hurdle said. What I shared with him is, `I want to look you in the eyes and do what I can do just to help you out. Not to make it easier, not to make it softer. I cant do that. But lets this because we have tried just about everything else. ' ' '