Lynx Beat Sparks To Claim 4th WNBA Title

Mitchell Hansen
Web Editorial Associate
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Nearly seven months ago, the Minnesota Lynx set out to do something every team dreams of at the beginning of the season.

They wanted to win the 2017 WNBA title and be the last team standing at the end of the season.

On Wednesday night, they were able to accomplish just that.

Minnesota took down the Los Angeles Sparks 85-76 in the winner-take-all Game 5 in front of a sold out crowd of 14,632 at Williams Arena to be crowned the 2017 WNBA Champions.

“I think this group more than anything, we stuck together through thick and thin all season,” Linsday Whalen said postgame. “I think every time you do this, it gets a little more special because it gets a little harder and gets more meaningful because you know it’s not easy. You know it’s not something we try to take for granted ever.”

With the title, the Lynx claimed their fourth championship in the last seven seasons. Those four championships tie the Houston Comets for the most ever by a WNBA franchise.

Minnesota was led, like it has all season long, by its starting five. All five starters finished in double-figures in the game.

Sylvia Fowles had a double-double of 17 points and 20 rebounds, Maya Moore had 18 points and nine rebounds, Lindsay Whalen had 17 points and eight assists, Seimone Augustus had 14 points, six assists and six rebounds and Rebekkah Brunson added 13 points and eight rebounds.

“We knew it was going to come down to their starters and our starters, that’s kind of how the series was defined. We also thought getting off to a good start was important and we did that. I thought we showed a will to win,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said. “We knew we were in for a battle. LA I thought put everything on the line. . . We just made some really good plays, which is why we’re sitting here.”

Candace Parker led the way for Los Angeles, tallying 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. Chelsea Gray had 15 points and eight assists, Nneka Ogwumike had 11 points and three rebounds and Odyssey Sims finished with 14 points and three assists.

The 2017 WNBA Finals Most Valuable Player was awarded to Minnesota’s Sylvia Fowles following the game.

Highlight Of The Game

The Highlight of the Game is the opening quarter for the Lynx.

As the theme has been all series long, the team that has jumped out to a first-quarter lead comes away with the win. Minnesota kept that trend going in Wednesday’s series-deciding win.

The Lynx opened the game on a 7-0 run and led by as much as 11 points out of the gate.

The Numbers Game 

  • The Lynx held a 19-4 advantage in second chance points in the game.
  • Minnesota finished shooting 44.9 percent from the field, while Los Angeles shot 45.3 percent.
  • The Lynx out-rebounded the Sparks 46-29 in the game.

Player Of The Game 

Wednesday’s Lynx Player of the Game goes to the 2017 WNBA MVP and Finals MVP, Sylvia Fowles.

in the game, Fowles recorded her double-double of 17 points and 20 rebounds, tallying her WNBA Finals record fifth consecutive double-double.

Her 20 rebounds is also a new WNBA Finals record, breaking her record of 17 rebounds earlier in this series.

“I just wanted to make it my business to go out there and rebound,” Fowles said. “That was my downfall last year and that haunted me for a long time. I wanted to come in and show my presence and if that was rebounding, then rebounding it was.”