Balanced Lynx top Parker, Sparks to advance to West finals

The Sparks lost their regular-season series to the Minnesota Lynx 3-1, but on Tuesday night they’ll have a chance to win the series that matters more: the Western Conference semifinals.

Minnesota Lynx’s Rebekkah Brunson (32) and Maya Moore (23) react to… Glares have been exchanged. They came close to advancing to the Finals for a fourth straight season previous year but were bounced from the playoffs by the Phoenix Mercury.

The Lynx have appeared in three of the last four WNBA Finals. The Lynx won both home games vs. Los Angeles in the three-game conference semifinals, improving the team’s home playoff record to 18-2, including 17-1 in coach Cheryl Reeve’s tenure. Game 2 will be Sunday afternoon in Phoenix, and if necessary, Game 3 will be Tuesday, September 29, at Target Center. Parker knows that with the deciding game in Minnesota the Sparks won’t be able to count on the same hot start.

Minnesota Lynx guard Seimone Augustus (33) talks to a teammate against the Atlanta Dream in the first quarter at The Arena at Gwinnett Center. The best-of-three series will begin Thursday in Minneapolis.

Candace Parker had 28 points and 13 rebounds for the Sparks, who haven’t been to the conference finals since 2012.

This season marks the fifth consecutive year the Lynx have won 20 games, which is the second-longest stretch in WNBA history (Los Angeles – 6, 1999-2004).