For three consecutive postseasons the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks have traded off eliminating each other from the playoffs. After Minnesota won the WNBA title last season, Los Angeles kept up their end of the bargain and beat the Lynx in an elimination game. The matchup lived up to the high expectations that this storied rivalry has set for WNBA fans, despite the absences of Rebekkah Brunson and Danielle Robinson.
The Lynx started the game playing well on both ends. Shots were falling which allowed Minnesota to get their defense setup and control the pace of the game.