WNBA: Sparks Fly to Title

WNBA Finals logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When the WNBA remade its playoff format this season, it was hoped that the top two seeds would meet for the championship instead of one dominant team and one division winner.  And wouldn't it be great if it were decided in the final seconds of Game 5?  Done and done.

The Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx did play five games of mostly tense basketball bookended by last-second shots, both at Target Center in Minneapolis.  In Game 1, it was Alana Beard for the Sparks.  In Game 5, it was Nneke Ogwumike (the league's MVP) hitting one with three seconds left to give the Sparks their first title since 2002, winning 77-76.  Candace Parker, the Finals MVP, had 28 points and 12 rebounds in the final game.  She dedicated the victory to her college coach, Pat Summitt of Tennessee, who died a few months ago.

There was a moment in Game 5 that reminded everyone what a flawed league the WNBA is.  Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve ripped into the officials after the game for not disallowing an Ogwumike basket on video replay, which showed that the ball went in the hoop after the shot clock had run out with a minute left in the game.  The WNBA admitted the mistake, but this isn't the first time a Minnesota pro sports team and its fans complained about a botched call that cost them a playoff game.

The Sparks won this series through grit, determination and the ability to make shots when it counted.  The Lynx, who have already won three WNBA championships in this decade and were going for a fourth to tie the record set by the Houston Comets (1997-2000), were also a determined bunch during these finals.  But their offense sputtered at the worst times despite Maya Moore's best efforts.

Flaws aside, this series was a better advertisement for women's basketball than anything else the WNBA could have come up with in its 20th season.  If the league can match that with better marketing and stable franchises, there's no reason they shouldn't be around for another 20 seasons.