October 6, 2017

On Wednesday, October 4, the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 85-76 to win the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Lynx won their fourth WNBA title by taking down the Sparks three games to two in the best-of-five series. The Sparks, a powerhouse team in their own right, have three WBNA titles, the last of which came in 2016.

Minnesota Lynx center Sylvia Fowles, seen here at the free throw line against the Altanta Dream on July 28, 2017, was named the WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Credit: © Jamie Lamor Thompson, Shutterstock

The Lynx had the best record during the 2017 WNBA regular season (27-7), and the Sparks finished one game behind (26-8). The Lynx rolled through the Washington Mystics in their best-of-three playoff round, and the Sparks swept the Phoenix Mercury. The WNBA’s best then faced off in a classic championship series.

The Sparks nicked the Lynx in the series opener in Minneapolis, 85-84. LA swing forward Candace Parker dealt with foul trouble but finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. Minnesota center Sylvia Fowles had 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Parker and Fowles are two of the best players in WNBA history. Fowles was the regular season’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), while Parker won league MVP honors in 2008 and 2013. Old rivals from the Southeastern Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), they were taken number one (Parker from the University of Tennessee) and number two (Fowles from Louisiana State University) in the 2008 WNBA draft.

The Lynx won a hard-fought game two at home 70-68, with Fowles setting a WNBA Finals record with 17 rebounds (she also added 13 points). Parker led LA with 17 points. Game three at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, went to the hometown Sparks, 75-64. LA forward Nneka Ogwumike (the 2016 WNBA MVP) and guard Odyssey Sims led the Sparks with 16 points each (Parker added 13). Minnesota small forward Maya Moore (league MVP in 2014) paced Minnesota with 16 points. Fowles had 15 points and 11 rebounds. The road Lynx roared back in game four, topping LA 80-69 to force game five at “the Barn” (Williams Arena) in Minnesota. Fowles led all players with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

In the deciding game five, the Lynx led by just three points in the final minute, but they held on for an 85-76 championship-clinching victory. Fowles again dominated, scoring 17 points and increasing her Finals rebound record to 20, while Moore had a Lynx-high 18 points and guard Lyndsay Whalen knocked down 17. For the Sparks, Parker’s valiant 19-point and 15-rebound performance was not enough to carry her team over talent-heavy Minnesota. Fowles was named the WNBA Finals MVP.

The WNBA is an American professional basketball league for women. The league was founded in 1996, and league teams began playing in 1997. The WNBA regular season runs approximately from May to September, followed by the postseason playoffs to determine the league champion.