Finals Scouting Report | Lynx at Sparks

Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
Twitter

7:30 p.m., STAPLES Center
Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN App
Where to Listen: 106.1 BOB FM, TuneIn Radio, Lynx App

The Minnesota Lynx will face the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

The Sparks enter the game with a 2-1 series lead over the Lynx in the best-of-five Finals series.

Here are three tidbits entering Sunday’s game:

  • If Minnesota wins the game, the series will go to a Game 5 for the second straight year. That game would be on Wednesday in Minneapolis. If the Lynx lose, Los Angeles would win the WNBA title.
  • In the two games, including the regular season and the postseason, the Sparks are 2-0 in game played in Los Angeles.
  • In three games so far this series, the games have been decided by an average margin of 4.7 points.

Last Matchup

Los Angeles came away with a 75-64 win over Minnesota in Game 3 on Friday night in Los Angeles.

Maya Moore led the way for Minnesota, tallying 16 points (all in the second half) and three rebounds. Sylvia Fowles had 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, Renee Montgomery had 12 points and two rebounds, Alexis Jones had nine points and four assists, Rebekkah Brunson had six points and two rebounds and Natasha Howard had four points off the bench.

Nneka Ogwumike had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Odyssey Sims had 16 points and three assists for Los Angeles. Chelsea Gray had 14 points and seven assists and Candace Parker finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Key Matchup: Seimone Augustus vs. Chelsea Gray 

One key matchup to keep an eye on in Sunday’s Game 4 will come between Minnesota’s Seimone Augustus and Los Angeles’ Chelsea Gray.

In Game 3 on Friday, Augustus was held scoreless in the contest after averaging 15 points per game in the first two games of the series. So far this postseason, Augustus is averaging 14.5 points, four rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.6 blocks a game.

Gray is having a nice postseason for Los Angeles, averaging 16.3 points, 6.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds and one steal per game.

Injuries

Los Angeles: No injuries to report.

Minnesota: No injuries to report.

Projected Starters 

Los Angeles: PG – Sims, SG – Gray, SF – Beard, PF – Ogwumike, C – Parker

Minnesota: PG – Whalen, SG – Augustus, SF – Moore, PF – Brunson, C – Fowles