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Minnesota Lynx, Los Angeles Sparks push each other, WNBA to new heights

By Philip Rossman-Reich

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 04: Maya Moore #23 and Seimone Augustus #33 of the Minnesota Lynx celebrate a win against the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 5 of the 2017 WNBA Finals on October 4, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - OCTOBER 04: Maya Moore #23 and Seimone Augustus #33 of the Minnesota Lynx celebrate a win against the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 5 of the 2017 WNBA Finals on October 4, 2017 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks finished another classic WNBA Finals. And for a second straight year pushed each other and the league higher.

A year ago, the Minnesota Lynx were in disbelief over what happened on their home floor. The Los Angeles Sparks had stolen a decisive Game 5 victory in the 2016 WNBA Finals on a putback from Nneka Ogwumike. The Lynx, the going dynasty in the league, were dethroned. And on something as seemingly easy to corral as a rebound and putback.

That defeat had to stick with them throughout the entire 2017 season. And all year long, it seemed the two teams inevitably were going to face each other, no matter how much each squad tried to avoid the topic.

There is some incredible talent in the league, but it all centers on these two teams and the inevitable showcase they would give in the course of two weeks in early October. They did not disappoint.

Not to the very end.

The Lynx and Sparks delivered in the finale with the same heart-pounding intensity anyone would expect in any championship game. The Sparks fell behind by 11 points and then went on an 8-0 run, trapping the Lynx and forcing turnovers to get out in transition, cutting the lead to just three.

A frantic Lynx team, hardly looking like the unit that had won three titles in the last six years, was looking for something to calm it down. They could not find it in their veteran point guard Lindsay Whalen, so they turned to their ultimate winner, Maya Moore.

Moore somehow got the ball, evaded the pressure, drove to the middle of the lane and hit a one-footed runner to give the Lynx the breathing room they needed.

That shot was the dagger for the Lynx to win their fourth title in six years. The Sparks made a weathered champion have to fight and dig out another trophy. Both teams, in the cliche of all cliches, left everything on the floor. And for fans, left them wanting more.

A few years ago, the Lynx and Sparks would not have met on this stage. The star power would have been relegated to the conference finals. The WNBA decided to change its playoff format last year, going to a non-conference-based seeding. It enabled the two best teams in the league to meet in the league’s championship showcase.

That decision paid off in consecutive years, helping the league showcase itself on the grandest stage.

From last year’s Game 5 thriller to this year’s Game 1 back-and-forth affair that ended with Chelsea Gray draining a game-winning shot, to the finale on Wednesday night, the two teams elevated the game.

And they elevated each other.

Sylvia Fowles, the regular season MVP and WNBA Finals MVP, recorded a double-double in each game. She recorded a WNBA Finals record 20 rebounds in the Game 5 finale. She had previously set the single-game record earlier in the series and averaged 15.0 rebounds per game for the series.

Candace Parker, after a basketball career in the spotlight, did everything she could to keep the title in Los Angeles. Her game simply improved throughout the series. She scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the series finale, putting in extra time as Ogwumike struggled with foul trouble, fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Several more of the Lynx and Sparks’ star players stepped up to the plate. Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsay Whalen, and, of course, Maya Moore each had their moments throughout the series for the Lynx and in Game 5. The Sparks had big games from Chelsea Gray, Jantel Lavendar and Nneka Ogwumike throughout the series.

When push came to shove in the finale, the Lynx’s best players rose to the occasion. They got their revenge.

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Like their brothers in the NBA, the 2018 season will likely have a familiar tune. The Lynx and Sparks will again dance around each other all season before their inevitable rubber match.

There will be plenty of other players and teams who will have something to say about that. Elena Della Donne, Brittney Griner, Tina Charles, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Breanna Stewart will be ready to stand in their way. And they will need to do more than ever to challenge these two juggernauts.

That will only make the league better and more entertaining for the future. The Lynx and Sparks continue to lift the league higher.

Who knows where they will take it next?

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