Minnesota Faces Elimination After Game 3 Loss to LA
Maya Moore and the Lynx face elimination going into Game 4
Los Angeles, CA - On Friday, the WNBA announced the leagues All-WNBA first and second teams for the 2016 season. Reigning MVP, Nneka Ogwumike was a unanimous first team selection by the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Joining Ogwumike were Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Elena Delle Donne and Sue Bird.
Below are the results of the 2016 All-WNBA Team voting:
2016 ALL-WNBA FIRST TEAM
Player Team Position Points
Nneka Ogwumike Los Angeles Sparks Forward 195
Tina Charles New York Liberty Center 193
Maya Moore Minnesota Lynx Guard 185
Elena Delle Donne Chicago Sky Forward 162
Sue Bird Seattle Storm Guard 128
2016 ALL-WNBA SECOND TEAM
Player Team Position Points
Angel McCoughtry Atlanta Dream Forward 122
Breanna Stewart Seattle Storm Forward 117
Sylvia Fowles Minnesota Lynx Center 89
Diana Taurasi Phoenix Mercury Guard 86
Jewell Loyd Seattle Storm Guard 48
Not discrediting any of these amazing players but one glaring omission on this list, is Candace Parker. I think she took notice as well, Parker who was also left off the U.S olympic team roster as well, always seems to respond to her critics with her play on the court. Parker led the Sparks on a 30-8 run to start the contest against the Minnesota Lynx, scoring 10 of her 24 points in the first.
The Lynx picked up some momentum closing the the quarter on a 9-2 run. In the second, the Lynx made a push to close the gap to eight with a few minutes to play in the half. Rebekkah Brunson and Sylvia Fowles were huge in the paint, Fowles had a WNBA playoff career high five blocks in the game. The backcourt for Minnesota picked up steam late in the second with Simone Augustus and Maya Moore helping propel the Lynx on a 14-2 run to end the half. The Sparks cooled off a bit heading into the locker room with a 48-40 lead but would not to respond in the third to keep Minnesota at bay.
In the second half, it was all L.A, Parker and Ogwumike continued to push the offensive tempo and also locked down on Minnesota defensively. Alana Beard was seen all over the court, she notched 15 points and seven assists but her defensive presence played a vital role in keeping the Sparks in front. Essence Carson also stepped up for the Sparks adding 16 points on 4 of 4 shooting from beyond the arc.
Maya Moore could not find her groove, only scoring nine points on four made shots. She spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench as L.A outscored Minnesota 44-35 to close out a Game 3 win at home and take a 2-1 lead in the series.
"That was a product of me being nonexistent in every game we played Minnesota this year. I went back and watched film, and my presence wasn't there." Parker told reporters after the game. "We've worked too hard to get to this point to just be there. I appreciate my coaches and my teammates challenging me, and now we're sitting here and going to Game 4."
Game 4 will be Sunday night at the Staples Center
