LOS ANGELES – No one should be surprised that the first two games of the WNBA Finals came down to the final possession.
These are the league's two best teams, have been for two seasons. In seven Finals games since 2016, they are separated by six points — 545 for the Lynx, 539 for the Los Angeles Sparks.
"It's talent," Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said. "Talent on both sides. That's what makes it so close. I mean, L.A. is good. We're good."
Four of those seven games, including the past three, have come down to a final possession. For the first time Tuesday at Williams Arena, the Lynx came out on top in such a game, evening the best-of-five series 1-1.
"We both have talent, we both know how to make plays," Sparks forward Alana Beard said. "And, on top of that, you can't leave out the fact we're both coached by very good coaches who know how to make adjustments."
So, as the teams prepared for Friday's Game 3 at Staples Center, it only stands to reason that the two best teams would produce such game-ending drama. It's harder to explain, though, the exchange of 20-point leads in Games 1 and 2.
"I don't know," Los Angeles coach Brian Agler said. "I know we're competitive. I know both teams know each other well. Both teams play defense, make it difficult on the key players. I can't answer why the swings happen."
In Game 1, L.A. ran off to a 28-2 lead in the first 7 ½ minutes, only to have the Lynx take two one-point leads in the final minute before Chelsea Gray's jumper with 2 seconds left gave the Sparks the win. In Game 2, the Lynx led by 20 early in the third quarter, but they had to make two big defensive stops at the end to preserve the victory.