Minnesota Lynx fall in wild first game of WNBA Finals
By Travis Young
The Minnesota Lynx really fell behind early and dropped a close one to the Los Angeles Sparks in the critical opener of the WNBA Finals.
Just as they did in their series with the Washington Mystics, the Minnesota Lynx started game one against the Sparks with no growl. They fell behind and yes this is no misprint, 28-2 in quarter number one. They trailed 32 to 11 after the first period. And, despite a frantic fourth quarter comeback, the slow start cost them as they went on to lose 85 – 84.
The Lynx outscored the Sparks 28 to 17 in the final stanza. They even lead by one with 6.5 seconds remaining. But, Chelsea Gray hit a 14 foot jumper with 2 seconds on the clock to seal the deal. Gray was dominant for the visitors, with 27 points. Perhaps this is déjà vu again. In last year’s championship series, the Sparks also nailed two last second shots to lead them to the title.
Prior to this series, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve felt that three-point shooting was critical for the Lynx in this series. However, her players did not respond, hitting only 5-14 from long-range. At least the Sparks were no better with only 7-20 finding the bottom of the next from beyond the arc.
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Surprisingly, the Lynx did out-shoot their opponents. They hit on 50% of their efforts while the Sparks finished at 47.8 %. Maya Moore scored 27 for the Lynx. Sylvia Fowles added 22 points and 13 rebounds. Seimone Augustus also played well with 19 and 8.
The Lynx are now forced to win three of four in this best of five, which is no small task. Game 2 is undoubtedly a must win and will tip-off Tuesday at 7 PM central time at Williams Arena.
Just over 11,000 were in attendance on Sunday. The Barn will hold in excess of 14,000. The top bowl was nearly empty and this is disappointing. But, the Minnesota Vikings likely had something to do with this. So, hopefully a sellout crowd will spur the Lynx to an impressive start and they can carry it through to a victory in the all-important second game.
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Do you think the Lynx can rebound to win game two? Let’s discuss.