WNBA Finals: The Lynx broke the Fever

By Danielle Jackson, Sports Reporter

This year’s WNBA final was between  the Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever.  The WNBA finals champion is decided upon by who wins a majority of the games, at least three games. Fans expected the series to go to five games, because these are the best teams in the league going head to head.

Catchings drives to the hoop. Photo By: Twon James (own work)
Catchings drives to the hoop. Photo By: Twon James (own work)

The Lynx finished the regular season with a record of 22-12 while the Fever had a record of 20-14. With the Lynx having the better record, they claimed home court advantage during the final series. Game one was a close one. The Fever played dominating defense during game one to show the Lynx that it was crunch time. The Fever’s defense wasn’t much against star Maya Moore. Moore had 27 points in game one of the finals. Sylvia Fowles put up a double in game one despite the loss. The Fever won game one 75-69.

Game two was the time for the Lynx to regain some control of the series. Lynx star Moore did what she usually does: put up big numbers for her team. Moore finished the game with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. The Fever weren’t down until the fourth quarter came. That’s when Lynx center Sylvia Fowles started dominating. Fowles finished the game with another double, 21 points and 10 rebounds. The fever tried all they could to stop the power of the Lynx in the fourth. Fever star Briann January tried to help the squad by putting up 17 points, but it wasn’t enough. The Lynx took game two winning 77-71.

Fowles strong to the hoop. Photo By Joe Bielawa (own work)
Fowles strong to the hoop. Photo By Joe Bielawa (own work)

Game three was classified as the best game of the series. With the series tied 1-1, someone had to take control. The game was back and forth the entire time, lead change after lead change. During the game, the Fever were in complete control; they were shutting down the Lynx shooting opportunities. They even got Moore to almost foul out. When Moore hit the bench, it was time for Fowles to step up. She dominated the paint, grabbing 11 rebounds for the Lynx. When the fourth quarter came around, Moore returned to the game to give the Lynx the last-minute push. The game was tied at 77 a piece until the final Lynx play led to a game winner three-pointer from Moore. The Lynx took game three, 80-77, which gave them control of the series.

Game four was just another repeat of game one. The Fever knew it was time to win or go home time which gave them more motivation to get the win. Briann January set the tone during game four by dropping 17 points on the Lynx. Moore still continued to give the Fever a hard time, gaining 24 points. Lynx center Fowles put up yet another double during game four. That was Fowles’s fourth consecutive double, but even with a dominating performance from the Lynx, it still wasn’t enough to pull out the win. The Fever went on to win the game 75-69 which tied the series 2-2.

The championship game took place on the Lynx home floor which gave them even more confidence to win for their fans. This game was not like the rest of the series; it was dramatically different. The Fever tried hard to stop the Lynx, but their defense was too fierce. The Lynx made the Fever commit 21 turnovers during the game and held them to a 17 point deficit. The Lynx won on their home floor 69-52 and were named the 2015 WNBA Champions for the third time in five years.

The Lynx reclaimed their spot at the top and look to do it all over again next season.

The Minnesota Lynx celebrate their 2015 WNBA Championship photo by: John Autey
The Minnesota Lynx celebrate their 2015 WNBA Championship photo by: John Autey