LOS ANGELES — Game 3 of the 2016 WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks tips off tonight at 9 PM ET on ESPN 2. After the Sparks stole Game 1 in Minnesota on Alana Beard’s buzzer-beater, the Lynx bounced back to even the series 1-1 before the setting shifted to Los Angeles for the next two games.

Before tonight’s tip-off at USC’s Galen Center, we spoke with ESPN analyst LaChina Robinson to discuss three keys that will impact tonight’s game.

Los Angeles: Getting on the Defensive Glass

In the first two games of the Finals, the Lynx have dominated the boards, with a 22-rebound advantage in total rebounds and an eight-rebound advantage on the offensive glass. The Sparks have consistently given up extra possessions by not securing defensive rebounds, which not only gives the Lynx more opportunities to score, but also limits L.A.’s transition offense.

“For L.A., the most important thing for them is to defensive rebound,” said Robinson. “When they get on the defensive glass, that allows them to get into transition. And when they’re playing in transition that’s when their offense is at its best because they space the floor, they’re a great passing team, they were number one in assists during the regular season.

“But when they are not on the defensive glass, Minnesota is on the offensive glass and second-chance points hurt them in Game 2.”

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The Lynx outscored the Sparks in second-chance points, 17-7, in Game 2 and hold a 12-point advantage over the first two games. After trailing by 17 points early in the third quarter, the Sparks responded with a 14-0 run that was fueled by transition opportunities and breakaway layups.

Minnesota: Running the Offense Through Fowles

In Game 2, the Lynx found Fowles on the low block early and often and the 6-foot-6 center put together an outstanding performance. She finished with 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting to go with 15 rebounds, but she also had four assists as she was able to find teammates when the Sparks defense collapsed around her.

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“For Minnesota, its really about continuing to run everything through Sylvia Fowles on the offensive end,” Robinson said. “When they are feeding her, their offense is very balanced; they’re not playing as fast. I thought in Game 1 that L.A. was able to really speed them up with their defense.

“When it goes to Syl, either a double- or triple-team is coming and she is able to pass out of it or she has a high percentage look around the basket. L.A. doesn’t have a lot of options as far as a big back-to-the-basket defensive stopper, so when Syl gets it in there deep it usually results in something good happening.”

The Lynx outscored the Sparks by 20 points when Fowles was on the floor in Game 2 and she has posted double-doubles in each of the first two games. The 2015 Finals MVP is averaging 15.5 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block through the first two games of the series.

History: Importance of Winning Game 3

Since the WNBA Finals extended from a best-of-three to a best-of-five series back in 2005, there have been six series tied at 1-1 after two games, while the other five were all three-game sweeps.

In the two most recent instances of a 1-1 tie in the Finals (2012 and 2015), the team that won Game 3 has gone on to win the series.

Last season, Minnesota’s Maya Moore hit a game winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in Indiana to lift the Lynx to a 2-1 series lead over the Fever. Indiana bounced back to win Game 4 and force a winner-take-all Game 5, which the Lynx won at home to clinch their third title in five years.

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Those same two teams met in the 2012 Finals and with that series tied at 1-1 after two games, it was the Fever that took Game 3 by 17 points and went on to close out the series in four games to win their first and only title.

While the recent history shows how pivotal Game 3 is in the Finals, if we look back further in the history books, there have been just as many teams that have overcome a Game 3 loss to rally back and win the title as there are teams that win Game 3 and go on to close out the series.

Finals Tied 1-1 After 3 Games

• 2015: MIN def. IND in Game 3, MIN won series in 5 games*
• 2012: IND def. MIN in Game 3, IND won series in 4 games*
• 2009: IND def. PHX in Game 3, PHX won series in 5 games
• 2007: DET def. PHX in Game 3, PHX won series in 5 games
• 2006: SAC def. DET in Game 3, DET won series in 5 games
• 2005: SAC def. CON in Game 3, SAC won series in 4 games*

(*Note: won Game 3 and went on to win title)

Phoenix defied the odds and overcame a Game 3 loss in series tied 1-1 during their first two championship runs in 2007 (vs. Detroit) and 2009 (vs. Indiana). In both series the Mercury won the final two games, including the 2007 Finals when they became the first team to clinch the title on the road.

Minnesota’s Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen faced off in the first best-of-five WNBA Finals back in 2005, when Brunson’s Sacramento Monarchs defeated Whalen’s Connecticut Sun in Game 3 after the series was tied 1-1. Sacramento went on to win the series in four games for the Monarchs’ only title. That was the first of four titles for Brunson and the second of seven Finals appearances for Whalen.