In a season where the WNBA promoted shiny new objects such as Brittney Griner and Elena Delle Donne, the comparatively unheralded Minnesota Lynx swept their way to a second league title in three years.
The Lynx crushed Atlanta's Dream 86-77 to take the WNBA championship series 3-0 in Duluth, GA (the Dream's temporary home, since their real one was booked for "Disney on Ice") Thursday night. The two previous games, held on the Lynx' Target Center home court, were 25-point blowouts.
The Lynx dominated during the regular season, too, by amassing the best record in the WNBA. That enabled them to have home court advantage during the playoffs, a factor in defeating the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury in straight sets.
It has been a dominant performance all season long for Seimoine Augustus, Maya Moore (who was named playoff MVP) and Lindsay Whalen, reflecting the experience and professionalism that comes through winning championships and Olympic gold medals. And help from Rebekkah Brunson, Monica Wright and Janel McCarville didn't hurt either.
So what about the future? Augustus and Whalen both signed contract extensions with the Lynx and Moore has one year left on hers, so the window for coach Cheryl Reeve's team to claim another championship has been extended a little more. But all good things must end someday, and that's when the Griners and the Delle Donnes of the world start asserting themselves and get their hands on the same trophy Augustus, Moore and Whalen possess today.
Until then, the trophy stays in Minnesota.
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