The Minnesota Lynx spent the last few days downplaying the significance of Thursday night’s “rematch” against the Los Angles Sparks, the team that beat them in the 2016 WNBA Finals. Everyone wanted to be clear that this was just another game, including Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
“The billing of the rematch is a natural thing for people to say, but its not a rematch, its not the finals, its a regular season game with both teams jockeying for position” said Reeve.
Those outside the team know better. Even setting last year’s Finals series aside, the 88-77 Lynx win over the Sparks was the most important and relevant game of the 2017 season so far.