The decisive Game 5 of the Fever-Lynx WNBA Finals is tonight, but the series already has "been a big success" from the standpoint of fans "getting to see a lot of good basketball," according to Mechelle Voepel of ESPNW. This is just the second time since '09 that the Finals have not ended in a three-game sweep, and Fever F Tamika Catchings said, “It's a great series for the WNBA. It's great for women's basketball. You can't deny the great competition on both sides" (ESPNW.com, 10/13). Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said, “It’s absolutely been a great series. Four really, really hard fought games. Why not go to a Game 5? It’s been that good of a series. It’s one of those things that people like to see.” Lynx G Maya Moore, who hit a buzzer-beating shot in Game 3, “appreciates what this series has meant.” Moore: “It’s been a fun one to watch. Especially the last few games have been very fun from a fan’s standpoint. Lots of great things happening, players making plays” (AP, 10/14). The AP’s Jon Krawczynski wrote this series “has been tense from the start, with both teams playing physical defense, both coaches trading heated remarks toward the officials, and stars on both sides coming up huge in big moments” (AP, 10/13).
SKILLS ON DISPLAY: In Minneapolis, Chip Scoggins writes as a "basketball fan -- not necessarily a die-hard WNBA follower but a fan of the sport -- this series has struck a chord and made me appreciate the wonderful display of high-end talent and effort by two teams that have brought out the best in each other.” ESPN analyst and former WNBAer Rebecca Lobo said, “This has been one of the most exciting (Finals) in my memory. It’s been the most competitive in recent memory for sure.” Scoggins notes that competitiveness “serves as the best advertisement for a league still attempting to grow its brand.” He writes, “Whether women’s basketball gets any bounce in attention from this showcase remains debatable, but that’s really not the point here. In a narrower view, we can appreciate this series for what it is -- basketball being played at a very high level” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/14).
