Swish Appeal - 2015 WNBA Playoff Central: interviews, recaps and moreBasketball is basketball.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49391/swish-fave.png2015-10-15T17:45:34-04:00http://www.swishappeal.com/rss/stream/91058342015-10-15T17:45:34-04:002015-10-15T17:45:34-04:00Maya Moore's teammates come to her rescue
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<p>After averaging more than 20 points per game in the first four games of the WNBA Finals, Lynx forward Maya Moore was held to just five points in Game 5. But it was the rest of the team that stepped up to give the Lynx their third WNBA title in five years.</p> <p><b>Minneapolis, MN --</b> Lynx forward Maya Moore has been an integral piece to the team's success throughout the WNBA finals. There is no doubt about it.</p>
<p>Moore averaged 22.5 points per game through the first four games of the final series, and hit a game winning 3-point shot in game three.</p>
<p>Yet in game five, Moore was held to just five points. But it didn't matter. The Lynx still <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/14/9536157/finals-mvp-sylvia-fowles-minnesota-lynx-win-2015-wnba-title-indiana-fever">defeated the Indiana Fever 69-52</a>, winning their third WNBA Championship in five years.</p>
<p>"What a testament to this team," said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. "I think Game 5 tells our story. First and foremost, we didn't do anything easy. This was not an easy year for us by any stretch. [It was] just finding a way and having people step up for us."</p>
<p>Reeve said Wednesday that if she had seen Moore with only five points in the final box score before the game, she would have thought that the Lynx lost by 20 points.</p>
<p>But Moore didn't see it that way.</p>
<p>"I didn't feel like I was struggling when I was playing," Moore said. "I was just playing in the moment, whatever the right decision called for at the time, I was just trying to make. [I] didn't hit the shots that I took, but [I was] just still trying to be involved and active in my team's success."</p>
<p>Reeve said she felt the same way, saying that she saw Moore stepping up in other areas of her game.</p>
<p>"Maya is about winning," Reeve said. "If you know Maya, Maya is one of the best people you ever come around. She's a tremendous teammate...Obviously she wanted to play better, but I thought that her activity on defense was really important."</p>
<p>The Lynx had several players step up in Maya's ‘absence'. Finals MVP Sylvia Fowles recorded a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and simply dominated inside the paint.</p>
<p>Forward Rebekkah Brunson also had a double-double Wednesday with 10 points and 14 rebounds, and guard Seimone Augustus added 16 points to the mix.</p>
<p>"It was so rewarding to watch my teammates step up and hit shots," Moore said. "Seimone was unbelievable, she was vintage Seimone. She was like a video game out there the way she was just attacking. Sylvia was just so clutch for us, the heart and soul of those big moments where if we needed something we know we could count on [Fowles]. And Brunson just playing her heart out, getting loose balls, running around.</p>
<p>"Bench players [were really] stepping up and making big plays."</p>
<p>And while the Fever did succeeded in shutting down Moore, there wasn't much else they could do to slow the rest of the Lynx. This, Fever coach Stephanie White said, is what a championship team is all about.</p>
<p>"You know, that's the great thing about a balanced team," White said. "You have a great player, and when they need her to rise, she does. Tonight, she didn't have to because contributions were coming from other players. That's what it's about at championship time."</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9540299/rescue-warriors-lynx-teammates-step-up-maya-moore-absence-game-5Ryan Young2015-10-15T12:33:01-04:002015-10-15T12:33:01-04:00Sisters unite as one
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<p>The Lynx have a remarkable story on their season leading to their win of the 2015 WNBA Title. Without the team’s tight bond, there would not have been the winning chemistry.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Minneapolis, MN -- </b>White and blue confetti blanketed the Target Center. Orange hats favored the patch "Minnesota Lynx 2015 Champions" on the side.</p>
<p>Yet, it is the tears that explained it all.</p>
<p>The hard work, fight, dedication, mobility, and characteristics that defined each player were expressed not only in Game 5 of the 2015 Finals, but also within five years of play.</p>
<p>In a program that underwent injured star athletes, switched coaching roles, roster-adjusted trades, and remarkable season comebacks, the Minnesota Lynx stand as one of the most impressive teams in the WNBA history.</p>
<p>Stars such as Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus missed a combined total of 23 games due to injuries. Yet, in the final game, each contributed to the win in their own unique manner.</p>
<p>At age 33, Whalen had started 379 games of 389 in her 12 years in the WNBA. However, she missed a handful of games, including 106 misses due to hyphema, a collection of blood inside the front part of the eye. As a returning star familiar to the championship feel, she had two points and two rebounds.</p>
<p>Yet, she dished four assists, all of which came consecutively for the team's 10-point lead in the third. It may seem small, but remember Whalen's experience had helped in vital portions of the game, including Game 3's buzzer-beater bucket to Maya Moore.</p>
<p>Augustus has also witnessed time on the court as a fellow champion. At the end of the game interview, Reeve was asked a question about the leadership of Augustus, and both her and Augustus broke down with tears of joy.</p>
<p>"We have a love-hate relationship," said Reeve. "But I'm so proud of her and the team."</p>
<p>Augustus scored 16 points, with three rebounds and two assists. Her influential second completion came at the start of the second when her 17-foot jumper tied the game at 17. From that point on, the Indiana Fever never saw a lead over the Lynx.</p>
<p>Also, it was the powerful defense and brilliant contributions from teammates Moore, Rebekkah Brunson, Anna Cruz and Renee Montgomery. In fact, top-player Moore held five points but Minnesota won by their largest margin in the Finals at 17 points. Cruz added five points with four rebounds, as Montgomery had nine points for four assists.</p>
<p>"It was so rewarding to watch my teammates step up and hit shots," said Moore.</p>
<p>Early in July, sitting at home unsure where to go, Sylvia Fowles said she prayed for her calling to be with a team the is so tight-knit. Wednesday night's game proved to be more of just Fowles scoring 20 points.</p>
<p>It gave a sense of confidence for her to recover from playing only 18 minutes total in the last game due to foul trouble. Her message was granted to the Lynx, and now she stands as the MVP for the 2015 WNBA Finals. This was an essential change from being confused on the couch, to motivated and most valuable.</p>
<p>"Nothing to take away from Chicago," said Fowles. "I felt like I fulfilled my contract there in Chicago and just wanted to step out and broaden my horizons on something new. Minnesota just so happened to be the team."</p>
<p>Then, head coach Reeve came to the organization in 2010 as the head coach, after present as an assistant for the Detroit Shock. She led her team to a 21-3 record all-time in the playoffs, which records the best winning percentage for winning coach in the WNBA.</p>
<p>There were season games that sparked the attention of this remarkable team. One of them was the impressive rally from 16 points down to defeat the Atlanta Dream with Moore and Fowles that turned the game around. Another monumental game was the surge past the Pheonix Mercury with Moore's 40 points for the Finals advancement.</p>
<p>As the statistics show, Minnesota successfully made it to the championships five times, clinching three titles: 2011, 2013, and now 2015.</p>
<p>Overall, their team bond brought the craftiness, devotion, and passion to the victory.</p>
<p>There have been just different elements of the journey of trying to be so successful every single year. The mental, the emotional energy and focus that that takes, the pressure, the expectations, and when things do not go perfectly, how do we handle it," said Moore.</p>
<p>"I think that was our biggest struggle of trying to get over our perfectionism is just pushing through and not quitting, not giving up and bouncing back, play after play, game after game."</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9540879/sisters-united-minnesota-lynx-road-wnba-title-challengingShelby Kimpel2015-10-15T11:30:02-04:002015-10-15T11:30:02-04:00From nonbeliever to WNBA fan
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/14/9536157/finals-mvp-sylvia-fowles-minnesota-lynx-win-2015-wnba-title-indiana-fever">defeated the Indiana Fever 69-52</a> in a decisive Game 5 Wednesday night for their third WNBA Title in five years. Sylvia Fowles, who had 20 points and 11 rebounds, was named Finals MVP. But for me, yesterday was time for me to reflect on how I truly underestimated the WNBA. </p> <p></p>
<p>I began the 2015 WNBA season regrettably with a belief I think many people have. The Women's National Basketball Association is weak, the girls are slow, and unless you want to see an onslaught of layups, you don't watch. I even played basketball growing up and never saw the WNBA as anything more than a punch line.</p>
<p>Boy, was I wrong.</p>
<p>This revelation started to come to me around July, when I began covering games for Swish Appeal. I watched WNBA teams from all over the country and was reminded of the facets of women's basketball that make it unique, and arguably superior to the men's game: dynamic fundamentals, team discipline and tremendous effort.</p>
<p>Suddenly women I had watched play in NCAA Women's Tournament when I was a high school basketball player, were sprinkled back into my life.</p>
<p>Players like Candice Wiggins and Nneka Ogwumike were easy to spot, I had cheered for them at Stanford like all Cardinal teams, plus I still followed them on Twitter and Instagram as if they were my cooler older sisters, whose glamorous lives I found enviable.</p>
<p>But Ivory Latta, who had been washed from my memory, was back in my life again, only now wearing the patriotic colors of the Washington Mystics not the iconic blue of North Carolina. She was still as much of a nuisance on defense as I remember her at UNC.</p>
<p>There were new players I did not know from their collegiate lives I got to learn about too. Serbian Ana Dabovic of the Sparks is one of the scrappiest, toughest players I've ever seen. She can come off the bench and ignite her team, diving on the floor for loose balls, taking hard fouls and pumping her chest.</p>
<p>And then there was Candace Parker.</p>
<p>Like most, I was introduced to Candace at Tennessee, as a powerhouse for Pat Summitt and the Lady Vols, one of the best players in the country. Years later, Parker was still ballin' at an out-of-control level; she was seasoned and smarter but nonetheless dominant.</p>
<p>I watched Candace a lot this season because I, too, live in Los Angeles, and her Sparks were just down the street. Every game I watched she did something spectacular, that made you say, "Wow, how on Earth did she do that?!"</p>
<p>As my fandom for the WNBA reached unprecedented levels, the playoffs started. Just my luck! Now I would get to watch the best teams compete in the most dire situations at the highest levels. And these playoffs did not disappoint.</p>
<p>Five different series came down to the last game, players like league MVP Elena Delle Donne and the New York Liberty's Tina Charles elevated their teams, and last night, after the confetti has fallen, the Minnesota Lynx are the champions of the WNBA.</p>
<p>It was a winner-take-all Game 5 between the Lynx and Indiana Fever. In Game 3, Maya Moore knocked down a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give her team the edge, causing <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.goldenstateofmind.com/">Golden State Warriors</a> guard and fellow champion <span>Klay Thompson</span> to tweet, "Maya Moore cold blooded" and Prince himself post, "MAYA MOORE... that's all."</p>
<p>However, Wednesday night, it was more than just Maya. Sylvia Fowles was positively dominant in the low post, imposed her will under the basket and owned the game. Rebekkah Brunson unloaded offensively for the Lynx with 10 points, her highest total in the series, and perennial champion Seimone Augustus had 16.</p>
<p>The 19 turnovers for the Fever did not help their cause, neither did the fact that they scored only 12 points combined in the second and third quarters. It was all Minnesota tonight as they were rightfully crowned the champions of the WNBA.</p>
<p>Looking back at my old ways, when I scoffed at the prospect of watching a WNBA game or even replied "why?" at the suggestion, I'm embarrassed at my neglect. The WNBA is jam packed with talent.</p>
<p>These women can <i>ball</i>. And now I feel so thankful to have not only had the opportunity to realize that this season, but to help put the league on the esteemed pedestal where it belongs.</p>
<p>I can't wait for the 2016 season... is it June yet?</p>
<p></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9539919/a-champion-rises-a-fan-reflects-former-skepticGiuliana Allegrotti2015-10-15T11:00:03-04:002015-10-15T11:00:03-04:00Hometown hero Lindsay Whalen wins for Minnesota
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<p>The floor general for the all of Minnesota's championship runs has been Lindsay Whalen. But yesterday, the hometown hero was able to do something she's never done before: win a championship in front of her home hometown fans</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Minneapolis, MN - </b>Wednesday night, the Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever 69-52 in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals in front of a packed crowd at Target Center in Minneapolis. This marks Minnesota's third championship in the past five years, but this one is a little "extra" special.</p>
<p>This time, Minnesota got to raise the championship trophy on their home court.</p>
<p>Of course, that's an exciting moment for all of the players, coaches and fans. However, it's even more fitting for one Lynx player—Lindsay Whalen.</p>
<p>Whalen is by no means a new name on the scene. A Hutchinson, Minnesota, native and former Golden Gopher, Whalen has been entertaining Minnesota crowds since playing varsity minutes during her eight-grade year. Let it be known that the population of Hutchinson isn't huge—just under 14,000—but when Whalen was playing, you could find a good portion of that population at the high school gym.</p>
<p>And the crowds kept growing—especially after Whalen set foot on the campus of the University of Minnesota in 2000. In her four-year career, the 5'9" combo guard helped build the Gopher women's basketball program into a national name.</p>
<p>She earned All-American honors in three different seasons (first Gopher to do so) and also guided Minnesota to its first ever Final Four appearance during her senior year. The Gophers made NCAA tournament appearances during her sophomore and junior campaigns, as well—something the program had only accomplished once before the Whalen years.</p>
<p>And the crowds? The average attendance at women's basketball games when Whalen arrived at Minnesota was 1,087. The average attendance during her senior year—9,866.</p>
<p>I was lucky enough to be one of those 9,866, making the hour trip from my hometown of Amery, Wisconsin, to "The Barn" to watch Whalen play a few times during her senior season. I'll never forget when my 10-year-old self was able to get her autograph on my #13 replica jersey after one of the games. Hands shaking and completely star-struck, I barely choked out a "thank you" as she hustled to the locker room.</p>
<p>From the U of M, it was onto the WNBA, and it's no secret that Whalen has made her mark in the league. Just completing her 12<sup>th</sup> season, Whalen's list of professional accomplishments is extensive, to say the least.</p>
<p>During her first two years at the professional level, she led the Connecticut Sun to back-to-back WNBA Finals appearances. In 2008, Whalen finished second in league MVP voting, averaging 5.4 assists (league leader) and 14.0 points per game that season.</p>
<p>After getting traded to the Lynx in 2010, the "hometown hero" continued to excel. She helped lead Minnesota to its first WNBA Championship in 2011, raising the championship trophy down in Atlanta after sweeping the Dream in the series.</p>
<p>The next title came in 2013, when again, Minnesota swept Atlanta, and again, they raised the trophy on the Dream's home court.</p>
<p>However, this time, it was different. With 18,933 fans packed into Target Center, Whalen and her team raised the championship trophy in Minneapolis. Fans finally got to see their hometown hero celebrate what she's been working for since her years at Hutchinson High. Even after battling through injuries and not being 100% at the most crucial time of the season, there Whalen was, holding that trophy with her fellow Lynx.</p>
<p>Teammate, Maya Moore, said it best when asked about Whalen and Seimone Augustus battling to overcome injuries and accept the title trophy.</p>
<p>"What Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus did was so hard. You can't imagine how hard it is to come back from injury at the most important time of the season, when everyone is playing well and hard and desperate.</p>
<p>"You have to find a way to be effective when your body isn't maybe even 80 percent, and staying on your rehab and not getting frustrated that you have to spend an extra hour every day to rehab and ice and stretch and get treatment because your body needs it, and they did it," Moore stated.</p>
<p>I remember sitting back in our last regular season game and watching them run up and down the court rehabbing, trying to get their wind, attempting to get their condition, so they could be ready to help this team when playoffs came around, and it all paid off."</p>
<p>Five years, three titles. And finally, Minnesotans got to see that familiar face cut down championship nets yet again.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/wnba/2015/10/15/9539529/minnesota-lynx-hometown-lindsay-whalen-wnba-titleKelly Stewart2015-10-15T10:06:42-04:002015-10-15T10:06:42-04:00What happened to the Fever in Game 5?
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<p>The Indiana Fever forced a Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, but struggled in yesterday's do-or-die contest. Why did that happen?</p> <p></p>
<p>The Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever last night in game 5 of the WNBA Finals and at the end of the day, the biggest difference between these two teams came down to one thing ... Finals experience and the ability to handle the pressure on the big stage.</p>
<p>This is the third time in the past five years that the Lynx have won the coveted title and the fourth time they have competed for it. This team brings the same veteran feel as the Spurs do in the finals, except they are led by players like Seimone Augustus and Maya Moore, who are still very much in their prime. That's a dangerous combination that ultimately proved to be too much for the Fever.</p>
<p>Indiana did not go out with a lack of effort. The fact that they even forced a Game 5 against this stacked team full of Olympians, who now will go down in history as a WNBA dynasty, is impressive in itself. They honestly just did not look like they were ready for the big stage and to continue to perform at the level they have been throughout this series in front of Minnesota's packed arena full of fans with all of the marbles on the line.</p>
<p>Their defense was definitely commendable, and you could tell the effort was there. Any time you hold Maya Moore to five points you know you are doing something right, because that woman can SCORE! Everyone had difficulty getting the ball through the net, though, unfortunately, resulting in the lowest-scoring first half of a WNBA finals game ever at just 21-27 Minnesota.</p>
<p>Turnovers were also another huge downfall in the death of the Fever's championship hopes. Check this out; they committed 14 turnovers compared to making eight field goals in the first half. If that isn't an ugly stat, I don't know what is. Here's another one.</p>
<p>They scored just 12 points in the second and third quarters combined. The team that had the best three-point percentage in the league and was shooting almost 40 percent from the trey line during the playoffs was 3 for 13 deep into the third quarter. Head Coach Stephanie White honestly looked perplexed as to what in the world was happening to her team.</p>
<p>Sylvia Fowles was also just way too much to handle for Indiana. She notched a double-double on the night with 20 points and 11 rebounds that looked easy. She was a grown woman playing with little girls out there and despite their best efforts, the Fever just did not have an answer for her. Fowles went on to win Finals MVP for her impressive performance.</p>
<p>Indiana, with credit to their effort, fought to the bitter end in the last few minutes to make the loss at least respectable with a final score of 69-52. Tamika Catchings was truly inspirational during this series and finished the night with 18 points. She put up a real valiant effort at the age of 36 and will go down as one of the best and classiest players in WNBA history. She is set to retire in 2016.</p>
<p>However, what everyone will be talking about for now was the history made tonight and the dominance of Minnesota. Is this the makings of a dynasty a la 90's Chicago Bulls? Can anyone stop them? Stay tuned.</p>
<p></p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9539211/2-things-you-need-to-know-why-indiana-fever-lost-game-5-wnba-finalsTori Nichols2015-10-15T09:38:16-04:002015-10-15T09:38:16-04:00Moore makes case for best player ever
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<p>After winning her third WNBA championship in five years, is it possible that Maya Moore the "Most Dominant Player" in women's basketball today?</p> <p>Minnesota Lynx forward Maya Moore is a woman of many descriptions.</p>
<p>She is beautiful, she is athletic, and she is also a champion. But one thing you may not look at her as...is most dominant.</p>
<p>That is, until you look at her career numbers and see that she is among the best there is in history.</p>
<p>Here are some statistics that immediately catch the eye:</p>
<p>MAYA MOORE (2011-2015)</p>
<p>3-time WNBA Champion (2011, 2013, 2015)</p>
<p>2011 WNBA Rookie of the Year</p>
<p>2013 WNBA Finals MVP</p>
<p>2014 WNBA MVP</p>
<p>4-time WNBA All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015)</p>
<p>No player in any of the four major sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) has ever accomplished this feat, or come close to establishing such dominance in their respective sport. Add her 2012 Olympic gold medal and you could make a case for the most dominant player in any league of all time. But we're going to stick to the WNBA here.</p>
<p>Think of some of the WNBA greats. Diana Taurasi, Lisa Leslie, Tina Thompson, or Candace Parker are usually at the top of many people's lists. So let's take a look at their individual accomplishments.</p>
<p>DIANA TAURASI</p>
<p>3-time WNBA Champion (2007, 2013, 2014)</p>
<p>3-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, 2012)</p>
<p>2009 WNBA MVP and Finals MVP</p>
<p>5-time WNBA All-Star (2005-07, 2009, 2011)</p>
<p>7-time WNBA First Team (2004, 2006, 2007-11)</p>
<p>league-record 5-time Peak Performer as league's leading scorer; including four straight from 2008-11</p>
<p>LISA LESLIE</p>
<p>3-time WNBA MVP (2001, 2004, 2006)</p>
<p>Two-time WNBA Champion (2001, 2002)</p>
<p>2002 WNBA Finals MVP</p>
<p>8-time All-WNBA First Team (1997, 2000-04, 2006, 2008)</p>
<p>8-time WNBA All Star (1999-2003, 2005, 2006, 2009)</p>
<p>3-time All-Star MVP (1999, 2001, 2002)</p>
<p>15-time WNBA Player of the Week (league record)</p>
<p>TINA THOMPSON</p>
<p>9-time WNBA All-Star (1999-2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013)</p>
<p>4-time WNBA Champion (1997-2000) (member of only 4-time WNBA Championship team Houston Comets)</p>
<p>WNBA All-Star MVP (2000)</p>
<p>3-time All-WNBA First Team (1997, 1998, 2004)</p>
<p>4-time All-WNBA Second Team (1999-2002)</p>
<p>CANDACE PARKER</p>
<p>Two-time WNBA MVP (2008, 2013)</p>
<p>WNBA Rookie of the Year (2008)</p>
<p>WNBA All-Rookie Team (2008)</p>
<p>4-time All-WNBA First Team (2008, 2012-14)</p>
<p>Two-time WNBA All-Defensive Second Team (2009, 2012)</p>
<p>3-time WNBA All-Star (2011, 2013, 2014)</p>
<p>2013 WNBA All-Star MVP</p>
<p>Two-time rebounding champ (2008, 2009)</p>
<p>Only women's basketball player to win the AP Female Athlete of the Year, USBWA Player of the Year, Naismith Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, WNBA Rookie of the Year and WNBA MVP in the same year (2008).</p>
<p>Of these four, only Moore, Taurasi and Thompson have won more than two championships. Parker, as great as she is, has not been able to add a WNBA championship to her resume. So, I ask one question of you.</p>
<p>Who is the most dominant women's basketball player of all-time? Take a look at the stats and decide for yourself.</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9536917/maya-moore-makes-case-mdp-most-dominant-player-all-timeChris Bullock2015-10-15T02:30:02-04:002015-10-15T02:30:02-04:00Strong defensive showing pushes Lynx to Title
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<p>The Minnesota Lynx held the Indiana Fever to just 12 points in 20 minutes in Wednesday's Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, and they took advantage. The Lynx, led by MVP Sylvia Fowles' 20 points and 11 rebounds, topped the Fever 69-52, giving them their third WNBA title in five years.</p> <p><b>Minneapolis, MN -- </b>The Minnesota Lynx entered through the doors of the Target Center in Minneapolis Wednesday with a goal to win their third WNBA title in five years.</p>
<p>They knew it wasn't going to be easy. They were facing an Indiana Fever team that had gone head-to-head with them in the first four games of the series.</p>
<p>Yet when it was all said and done, the Minnesota Lynx found themselves holding the championship trophy. Led by finals MVP Sylvia Fowles' 20 points and 11 rebounds, the Lynx <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/14/9536157/finals-mvp-sylvia-fowles-minnesota-lynx-win-2015-wnba-title-indiana-fever">topped the Fever handily 69-52</a>.</p>
<p>"It is an unbelievable experience," said Lynx forward Maya Moore. "I don't really have words for that feeling. I mean, the way we came out and just executed and started pushing that lead, and the crowd was just so into it, and it just built and built. That last minute, when we were up 15 or so, I just lost it."</p>
<p>While Wednesday night's game started out close, it certainly didn't end that way.</p>
<p>At the peak of their run, the Lynx were able to hold a 23 point lead in the fourth quarter. And after four very close games in the early part of the series - all of which were decided by 10 points or less - a comfortable double-digit lead wasn't something many expected.</p>
<p>"[I was] a little surprised," said Fever coach Stephanie White. "You're never really shocked because Minnesota is so good. But at the same time, it seemed like we couldn't quite get a handle on the ball. They were moving us around a lot on the defensive end and really getting great shots."</p>
<p>The Fever's troubles truly began in the second quarter. While they led 17-15 after the opening quarter, they scored just a combined 12 points in the second and third quarters. In fact, their four points in the second quarter was the lowest point total by an individual team in WNBA Finals history.</p>
<p>The Lynx took advantage, too. By the time the third quarter had ended, Minnesota was up 48-29.</p>
<p>"We kind of got away from what was working for us," said Fever guard Briann January. "It allowed them to get some easy buckets, allowed them to get on a run, and then we were playing catch-up. So we put ourselves in a tough situation."</p>
<p>Turnovers also plagued the Fever Wednesday night. After just three turnovers in the first quarter, the Fever combined for 15 total turnovers in the second and third quarters - several of which were unforced.</p>
<p>And while it was the final game of the final series, the Fever seemed out of energy at times. White, while she may not understand it, saw it at some points, too.</p>
<p>"I don't know really, I don't know how you can get tired in an environment like this," White said. "The fans were awesome - they have been all season long. It's what you dream of playing for. But at the same, I feel like some of our decision making showed a little bit of fatigue."</p>
<p>The Fever were able to make a slight comeback in the fourth quarter, but the damage was already done. The Lynx's lead was too great.</p>
<p>And at the moment, the Lynx aren't concerned with how they won the series. All that matters to them is that they won it at home.</p>
<p>"I know when it got towards the end, it was just really, really special," said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. "Our fans requested that we win one at home, and I don't necessarily know that that was our plan, but it worked out in a way that - I mean, how more exciting do you get than a Game 5 in front of your home fans with the turnout that we had and they were incredibly engaged?</p>
<p>"To stand there as a group in front of our fans, I just think that both groups deserved it."</p>
https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9537373/defense-wins-minnesota-lynx-wnba-championshipRyan Young2015-10-15T02:00:02-04:002015-10-15T02:00:02-04:00Best things in life are free
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<figcaption>Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Shots from the charity stripe may equal only one point at a time, but they can be the deciding factor for who takes home the gold. That came true for the Minnesota Lynx, as they beat the Indiana Fever 69-52.</p> <p></p>
<p><b>Minneapolis, MN --</b> In a decisive game with so much on the line, sometimes it's the little things that get forgotten and left behind. Little things like the ability to get to the free throw line can determine and separate the winners from the losers, like it did for the Minnesota Lynx as they <a href="http://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/14/9536157/finals-mvp-sylvia-fowles-minnesota-lynx-win-2015-wnba-title-indiana-fever">beat the Indiana Fever 69-52</a>.</p>
<p>When shots do not fall, every player knows that driving to the basket and getting second chances at the line are their safest bet. The Indiana Fever had half of this equation as their shots were not falling, shooting a mere 35% from the field. Although, only three players were able to make their way to the line, with Tamika Catchings making four out of the team total six free throws.</p>
<p>"We weren't playing our style of basketball," Fever guard Briann January said. "We kind of got away from what was working for us, it allowed them to get some easy buckets, allowed them to get on a run, and then we were playing catch‑up. So we put ourselves in a tough situation."</p>
<p>The opposite was happening for the Lynx, as they shot 41% from the field and were able to make it to the line a total of 18 times, making 15 of those attempts. Sylvia Fowles earned six of her 20 points from the charity stripe alone.</p>
<p>For a decorated veteran like Catchings, no amount of heroic effort can overcome simple stats, as her 18-point performance was unable to mask the other statistical woes the Fever came across.</p>
<p>"No matter what happened tonight, I was going to be proud of this group," Catchings said. "This group was‑ it's been an amazing journey this year."</p>
<p>With the last four games of the Finals being decided by an average of 5.3 points, this game was anticipated to be a fight to the finish. The stark contrast between this game compared to the others was the amount of fouls given. With that being said, personal fouls have a direct correlation with free throw attempts.</p>
<p>"We played every possible game in every series, and each one of those has been highly charged emotionally," Fever Head Coach Stephanie White said. "But at the same time, I felt like some of our decision‑making showed a little bit of fatigue."</p>
<p>This came to light in the third quarter, as the seven-point lead going into the quarter turned into a 19-point edge going into the fourth.</p>
<p>In Indiana's case, three of the top four contributors had at least three personal fouls, with Shenise Johnson adding five to the team total of 21. Minnesota on the other hand, had only one player that reached double figures have more than three fouls, which was Rebekkah Brunson with four. This gave the Lynx the ability to continue their intensity and pressure throughout the game.</p>
<p>Lynx guard Maya Moore spoke on the intensity, saying "All that full‑court pressure that both teams were applying. Our guards coming off the bench were instrumental to continuing that pressure. You can't give them enough credit for that."</p>
<p>With this win, the Minnesota Lynx earned their third WNBA title in the last five years, while the Indiana Fever completed their 11<sup>th</sup> straight year in the playoffs. With Catchings retiring after next season, the Fever will have one last shot in the upcoming season to earn the title with her help and let her end her very accomplished and decorated basketball career on a high note.</p>
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https://www.swishappeal.com/2015/10/15/9538017/free-throws-little-points-decided-wnba-championshipKlara Bradshaw