Preview: The Sparks took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series with a 78-76 victory Sunday in Game 1. In their previous four trips to the WNBA Finals, the Lynx are 4-0 in Game 2, with all four games at Target Center. The road team has won all four games the Lynx and Sparks have played this season.
Players to watch: Lynx center Sylvia Fowles, who made seven of 10 shots in Game 1, is shooting 67.7 percent in the playoffs. She scored 18 in Game 1 and had a game-high 13 rebounds. Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike shot 66.5 percent during the regular season, the second-best mark in WNBA history, and was eight of nine from the floor in Game 1.
Numbers: The Lynx and the Sparks entered the Finals with a combined winning percentage of .794 during the regular season, the highest in WNBA Finals history. ... The Lynx are 23-4 in home playoff games, one victory short of the league record held by Los Angeles (24-11).
Injuries: none.
RACHEL BLOUNT
