Alexander Shun

Web Editor Associate | @alexpshun 

Minnesota Lynx (22-12) vs. Los Angeles Sparks (14-20) – Game 1 | 8:00 P.M. CT

WHERE TO WATCH: NBATV

WHERE TO LISTEN: 106.1 BOB FM

This has been a very long week, I think everyone can agree with that. The wait has been excruciating and far too long, but tonight, the wait is over, and I know that fans have been longing to hear it: Minnesota Lynx playoff basketball is back.

Tonight, the Lynx will host the Los Angeles Sparks at Target Center in Game one of the Western Conference Semifinals in what is sure to be an exciting and evenly matched series between two very talented teams.

Both the Lynx and the Sparks made the playoffs and both dealt with similar struggles throughout the regular season, yet these teams took different paths to get here tonight. Let’s start with the home team.

The Lynx started the season hot and cruised to an early season lead in the Western Conference. Guard Anna Cruz joined the team after 10 games and took some time before acclimating with the team, then other pieces starting moving. While keeping their deadly core together, the Lynx made multiple trades including a trade that brought back guard Renee Montgomery and a blockbuster trade just after the All-Star break for Chicago Sky 6’6, two-time Defensive Player of the Year center Sylvia Fowles. The injury bug bit at various points throughout the season, causing Cruz, center Asjha Jones, guard Seimone Augustus and guard Lindsay Whalen  all to miss time throughout the regular season. Minnesota put together winning streaks, suffered through losing streaks and, most importantly, after a seemingly constant shuffle of lineups, gained chemistry with one another that can only make the team stronger.

The fact that the Lynx were able to win the top seed in the Western Conference after all they went through this season, truly speaks to not only the talent on the roster, but the veteran leadership that the team has, starting with head coach Cheryl Reeve and trickling down to the team’s last bench player.

The Sparks had a similar regular season and should also be commended for all the hard work and great things they accomplished to make themselves a playoff team.

After losing the first seven games of the season and ending the first half of the season with a 3-13 record while sitting in the basement of the Western Conference, not many in or around the WNBA would have bet on Los Angeles being in the playoffs. Who would have blamed them? After their best player, and one of the best players in all of the WNBA, forward Candace Parker, decided to sit out the first half of the season, everyone knew the team would deal with struggles, hard not to when you lose a player of Parker’s caliber. The injury bug then bit the Sparks, causing guard Alana Beard and forward Nneka Ogwumike to miss time. Guard Kristi Toliver missed the beginning of the season because she was playing for her national team and then had to reacquaint herself with a rather depleted Sparks’ team. Los Angeles is a team that, like the Lynx, suffered through losing streaks, put together winning streaks and persevered to get themselves a slot in the playoffs.

These two teams have some pretty glaring similarities, don’t you think?

Both teams are fully healthy which means that Whalen and Augustus will be back for the Lynx, a welcome sight for Lynx fans everywhere. After missing the last four games of the season with a strained right Achilles, Whalen is expected to start for Minnesota tonight, pushing Montgomery back to a reserve role, concurrently giving the Lynx bench greater depth. Augustus’s starting status is much less certain despite being a full participant in practices all week, but Augustus is healthy and will play, it is simply a matter of whether she’ll start and how many minutes she’ll receive.

Tonight these teams will get to face-off for the fifth time this season, this time with a lot more on the line. Everyone knows how important game one is, more than anyone, Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.

“If you’re the road team, that’s the game you know you gotta get it,” said Reeve, speaking about how important tonight’s series opener will be at home. “If you’re the home team, it’s the game that you know that you’re in the driver’s seat. It’s your home games, you’ve gotta win your home games and that’s what we worked for all season.”

The Lynx beat the Sparks both times they played at Target Center during the regular season and Minnesota will aim to make it a third home win over Los Angeles tonight. In the victories, the Lynx held the Sparks to an average of 70 points on 47.5 percent shooting while averaging 77 points on 43.4 percent shooting; as one can see, they are very evenly matched teams.

The key to this game is going to be defense. Both teams have struggled defensively against the other and, seeing how it’s playoff basketball now, will need to play lock down defense to come away with a win, especially with players like forwards Candace Parker and Maya Moore on the court. There is one big advantage the Lynx have though and it will definitely play a role in tonight’s game: They have home-court.

“Our home-court advantage, since I’ve been here, has been felt by all and that’s been a huge reason as to why we’ve been able to be successful,” said Lynx forward Maya Moore. “We take our home-court very seriously and we want to make sure that it’s really, really hard for teams to win when we’re at the Target Center.”

With a fully healthy Lynx roster and a raucous Target Center crowd, it’s going to be extra difficult for the Sparks to win tonight.

REGULAR SEASON MEETINGS

Usually I would provide immense information about the last time these two teams met and how such an outcome could play into tonight’s game, but tonight’s game is obviously different. This is playoff basketball, and anything can happen in playoff basketball.

During the regular season, the Lynx and Sparks met four times with the Lynx emerging victorious in three of those contests, including the two games played at Target Center. In the four games this season, the Lynx averaged 70.5 points against Los Angeles while the Sparks averaged 68.7 points.

Lynx forward Maya Moore was great against Los Angeles in the regular season, averaging 20.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Moore, who I might add finished second in the WNBA MVP voting this year, has been stellar and has proven even more stellar when playing the Sparks.

Sparks center Jantel Lavender was a thorn in Minnesota’s side all regular season long. In the four games against the Lynx, Lavender averaged 13.5 points, 11 rebounds and one assist while seemingly always making big shots when the Sparks needed them most.

The regular season record may be in Minnesota’s favor, but Los Angeles is a very good team and, as I said before, this is playoff basketball. Anything can happen in playoff basketball.

KEY MATCH-UP: MAYA MOORE VS. CANDACE PARKER

Is this even a question? Seriously, this is the best match-up in the entire first round of the playoffs.

In one corner, two-time champion, last year’s MVP and reigning All-Star Game MVP forward Maya Moore for the Lynx. In the other corner, two-time WNBA MVP and three-time All-Star forward Candace Parker for the Sparks.

It has been said quite a bit already but I’m going to say it just one more time: This is going to be one heck of a match-up.

Moore, as I previously detailed, played extremely well during the regular season and was named to her fourth All-Star Game (and winning MVP honors there) while finishing second in the league’s MVP voting. Moore also played very well against the Sparks and was a huge reason why the Lynx won three-of-the-four games against Los Angeles.

Parker, after sitting out the first half of the season to rest, came back in the second half and dazzled everyone, putting up MVP-esque numbers. Quick side thought: If Parker had played the entire regular season, with the numbers she put up, I firmly believe that she could have won MVP honors. Yes, she was that good. Anyway, Parker played in three games against the Lynx this season and was phenomenal, averaging 13.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 2.6 steals and two blocks. She will need to be slowed down dramatically, if possible, to keep Los Angeles from stealing the opening game and taking home-court from the Lynx.

Oh, and for further proof of how important this match-up is, one must simply look at last year’s playoff stats for these two forwards.

Moore averaged 19.8 points, six rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.6 blocks in five playoff games last season while Parker averaged 21.5 points, six rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.5 blocks in two playoff games in 2014.

If these two great players can perform at an even remotely similar level, fans will be in for an amazing game and even better series.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Lynx: PG – Whalen, SG – Cruz, SF – Moore, PF – Brunson, C – Fowles

Sparks: PG – Toliver, SG – Beard, SF – Ogwumike, PF – Parker, C – Lavender

 

QUICK HITS

In case you happened to miss it, here are the top 10 plays from the Minnesota Lynx regular season, courtesy of Jared Rodgers Martin and John Focke.