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MINNEAPOLIS -- While her teammates were getting dressed for Saturday night's game against Phoenix, Seimone Augustus leaned on crutches to hobble down a few steps.

Somehow her smile was still there.

The Minnesota Lynx star tore the ACL in her left knee June 17 in Phoenix, ending her fourth season. She is expected to meet with doctors Monday to determine a date for surgery.

"I haven't had to take any pain pills, so that's good, but I'm still down about not playing," she said, speaking to the media for the first time since the injury. "I just want to get back to 100 percent to help my team out next year."

Augustus, who averaged 21.0 points in the Lynx's first six games this year and 21.2 points in her first three seasons, said she has gotten tremendous support from her teammates and has spoken to former Lynx star and current Detroit Shock forward Katie Smith about her experience coming back from a torn meniscus in her right knee in the 2004 Olympics.

Augustus said UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who is scheduled to coach the United States at the 2010 World Championships, has also offered words of encouragement and told her to be ready for the competition.

"I'm just thankful that I've got a lot of people who've been very supportive and helped me understand what to expect over the next coming months," Augustus said. "If I didn't have any motivation, I think they've given me enough."

Still, she wants to be on the court, not on crutches.

"After the injury, the first two days I probably cried more than I ever have in my life," Augustus said. "It's tough to watch the game, but after the New York win, I know they're out there playing for me, just trying to make me happy."

Led by 25 points from Candice Wiggins, Minnesota beat the Liberty 69-57 Tuesday.

"It's still tough because you see spots in a game where it's like, 'Man, I could have been there, I could have shot the ball, I could have done this,'" Augustus said.

Minnesota is averaging just 65.5 points in the two games since its go-to player went out, compared with 88.4 points per game in its first five full contests with Augustus.

But Augustus isn't worried about the Lynx.

"I think it's going to be a team effort," she said. "The way Wiggins played last game, I think she's going to step into that role and do a great job of leading this team and taking over the scoring load if she has to. But just great team basketball all the way around is going to help us get over that hump and win games."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press