WNBA Playoff History: 2011
Lynx Sweep Dream for First Title in Franchise History
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| Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images |
The Minnesota Lynx finished the 2011 regular season with a league-best 27-7 record and lost just one game in the postseason on their way to their first title in franchise history. Prior to this season, the Lynx had not made the Playoffs since 2004 and had never won a postseason series. That all changed in 2011 as the Lynx used a balanced attack to advance past the San Antonio Silver Stars and Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Semifinals and Conference Finals, respectively, before meeting the Atlanta Dream in the Finals.
The Dream opened the season 3-9 as they played through injuries and missing players, but found their stride during the second half of the season to enter the postseason as the hottest team in the East despite their No. 3 seed. The Dream swept the Sun and knocked off the top-seeded Fever to make it to the Finals for the second straight year. Unfortunately for the Dream, a similar result was on the horizon.
The Lynx opened the Finals at home and rallied in the fourth quarter to win both games in Minnesota to take a 2-0 lead as the series shifted to Atlanta. The Dream, who were swept by Seattle in 2010, were unable to defend their home court against Finals MVP Seimone Augustus and the Lynx, as the Lynx won Game 3 to clinch the first title in franchise history.
Conference Semifinals
No. 1 Lynx defeat No. 4 Silver Stars, 2-1
Gm 1: Minnesota 66, San Antonio 65
Gm 2: San Antonio 84, Minnesota 75
Gm 3: Minnesota 85, San Antonio 67
No. 3 Mercury defeats No. 2 Storm, 2-1
Gm 1: Seattle 80, Phoenix 61
Gm 2: Phoenix 92, Seattle 83
Gm 3: Phoenix 77, Seattle 75
No. 1 Fever defeats No. 4 Liberty, 2-1
Gm 1: Indiana 74, New York 72
Gm 2: New York 87, Indiana 72
Gm 3: Indiana 72, New York 62
No. 3 Dream defeats No. 2 Sun, 2-0
Gm 1: Atlanta 89, Connecticut 84
Gm 2: Atlanta 69, Connecticut 64
Conference Finals
No. 1 Lynx defeat No. 3 Mercury, 2-0
Gm 1: Minnesota 95, Phoenix 67
Gm 2: Minnesota 103, Phoenix 86
No. 3 Dream defeats No. 1 Fever, 2-1
Gm 1: Indiana 82, Atlanta 74
Gm 2: Atlanta 94, Indiana 77
Gm 3: Atlanta 83, Indiana 67
WNBA Finals
No. 1 Lynx defeat No. 3 Dream, 3-0
Gm 1: Minnesota 88, Atlanta 74
Gm 2: Minnesota 101, Atlanta 95
Gm 3: Minnesota 73, Atlanta 67