Minnesota star Maya Moore poured in 21 points and teammate Sylvia Fowles added 17 points and 14 rebounds as the Minnesota Lynx completed a three-game sweep of the Washington Mystics with an 81-70 win in Game Three of the WNBA Semifinals on Sunday. Veteran Seimone Augustus chipped in with 18 points as Minnesota clinched a third straight WNBA Finals appearance and sixth in seven seasons. The Lynx will attempt to win their fourth WNBA title in seven years.
Elena Delle Donne scored 15 points to lead Washington, which is ousted from the playoffs after reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2002. Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored 14 points and Kristi Tolliver added 13 for the Mystics, who forced Minnesota into 13 turnovers. Washington netted only 31 second-half points and never beat Minnesota in six games this year, counting regular and postseason and playoffs.
The Lynx overcame a seven-point second quarter deficit with a 17-0 run that stretched across halftime to build a 10-point lead. Augustus scored Minnesota’s first seven points of the second half, including a transition 3-pointer off Moore’s kickout. Moore added a technical free throw charged to the Mystics bench to make it 49-39 with 6:41 left in the third quarter. Washington closed back to within two before offensive rebounds from Rebekkah Brunson and Fowles keyed a four-point possession for the Lynx. That made it 63-57, and the lead grew again from there.
Minnesota will host Los Angeles in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals next Sunday at the University of Minnesota’s Williams Arena. This is a rematch of last year’s Finals, which LA won in five games.