MINNEAPOLIS — Chiney Ogwumike may have summed up the evolution of the Candace Parker-Nneka Ogwumike relationship best during an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe while watching her older sister play against Chicago during the semifinals.

“When she came in as a rookie it was like Batman and Robin and now it’s Batman and Batman,” said the younger Ogwumike. “Nneka looked at her, she aspired to be her growing up and now she’s leaving her mark.”

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When Nneka Ogwumike was drafted first overall by the Sparks in 2012, she was the rookie joining Candace Parker’s team. Parker was an established star in this league – she had won Rookie of the Year and MVP awards, been named to All-WNBA and All-Star teams, won an Olympic gold medal – and Ogwumike was more of a little sister than an equal.

“When I came in I saw her as a mentor and I learned a lot from her game,” Ogwumike said. “She’s a student of the game, her IQ is through the charts and I’ve been able to see the game differently because of her and we help each other out.

“If I see something that she needs to do I’ll talk to her and if she sees something that I can do better, she’ll talk to me and we feed off of each other in that way. We know each others strengths and we put each other in positions to show people that.”

In her first few years, Ogwumike served as a sidekick to Parker, who would win her second MVP award in Ogwumike’s sophomore season. Nneka consistently put up solid numbers – 14+ points, 7+ rebounds, 1+ assist and steal, just under 1 block, while shooting over 53 percent from the field – won Rookie of the Year honors and made her first All-Star game in 2013, but she was overshadowed by some of the other young players in the league such as Minnesota’s Maya Moore, Phoenix’s Brittney Griner and Chicago’s Elena Delle Donne.

Ogwumike continued to develop her game, establishing herself as one of the league’s best interior defenders – she’s an All-WNBA Defensive First Team selection in each of the past two seasons – while also upping her scoring average to 16.5 points a year ago.

But it was this season – her fifth in the WNBA – that saw Ogwumike put it all together and elevate her game to new heights as she averaged 19.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks while nearly breaking the WNBA record for highest field goal percentage in a season at 66.5 percent. She was rewarded for her efforts by being named league MVP, making the Sparks the rare team with two players to win that prestigious honor on the same team.

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“It was fun because I could see it in the making,” said Parker. “I’ve been her teammate for the past five seasons and what she’s doing this season is what she’s always done it’s just the league is recognizing it now. Her play just adds another dimension to our team, she was super consistent all year and I was very proud to sit back and watch the historical season she had.”

Robin had become a second Batman. And the Sparks advanced to their first WNBA Finals in 14 seasons.

“They’ve been playing together since I got to LA, so I think its been building over time,” said Sparks coach Brian Agler, who joined the team last season. “Its about just understanding each other’s games. I think Candace really tries to take advantage of Nneka’s strengths of her game, which is her athleticism and her quickness. And then, obviously, Nneka understands that Candace can really pass the ball, so she’ll try to get to open spots. So I think it all starts right there and its like anything else, through time you build trust and I think there’s just a lot of trust built up between those two right now.”

This isn’t the first time Parker has shared the court with an MVP teammate as she teamed with three-time MVP Lisa Leslie during her first two seasons in the WNBA before Leslie retired in 2009. It was a similar situation in Houston back in 2000 as Sheryl Swoopes won her first MVP award as Cynthia Cooper – who won the first two in league history – completed her final season.

This is something totally different. Parker, 30, and Ogwumike, 26, are both in their prime right now. It’s reminiscent of Kevin Durant (2014 NBA MVP) joining Stephen Curry (2015 and 2016 MVP) on the Golden State Warriors. One of the biggest questions heading into the NBA season is how those two extraordinary players will complement one another on the court with only one basketball to share.

If they can pull it off as well as Parker and Ogwumike, then the Warriors could have another historic season on their hands. But unlike the Warriors duo that came together via free agency, Parker and Ogwumike developed a chemistry over the past five seasons as teammates that is clearly evident when watching them operate together on the court.

“It’s built over years, we’ve played together for a while and we’ve developed a chemistry on and off the court,” said Parker. “Our entire team is close off the court, which makes it easier to play on the court because things that are being said in the heat of the moment are coming from a good place and you mean well. Watching her add little things to her game and want to continue to get better has been fun for me.”

“We’re still learning, which is great thing,” Ogwumike added. “Candace can do everything, but one thing that I try to make easier for her is for her to understand that she doesn’t have to do everything.”

A key to the Sparks’ success is that Parker and Ogwumike’s games complement one another seamlessly, so it’s not like they are taking turns dominating the ball and looking for their own shot.

Parker’s vision and passing ability allow her to play point center for the Sparks in the half court with the team getting her the ball in the high post and letting her orchestrate the offense. With Toliver providing a three-point threat that teams must respect (she made 81 treys on 42.4 percent shooting), it opens the floor for Parker to look for her own shot or seek out cutters for easy baskets.

That’s where Ogwumike fits right in. No player scored more points on cuts than Ogwumike’s 121 this season (per Synergy Sports), as Ogwumike constantly uses her superior athleticism and quickness to get herself open around the basket and provide an easy target for Parker to find.

“I do know with her that my job is to catch the ball no matter where it goes,” Ogwumike said with a laugh. “My job is to catch the ball and finish it. I think that we’ve definitely established that, we exploit each others strengths and I think there’s going to be many more opportunities for us to continue to develop that.”

“We want to get the ball at the high post and then give options and she’s a huge option for us and for me,” said Parker. “I think Kristi, myself and her have developed a great way to play off the pick and roll.”

The high-low game between Parker and Ogwumike is as beautiful to watch as it is difficult to stop. Throughout their final practice session before Sunday’s Game 1, the Minnesota Lynx worked on a variety of defensive strategies to try to combat this very play.

“They are a high-low team and we don’t let them play to their identity,” Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told her team as they line up again and again to work on their defense.

The Lynx have their work cut out for them to find a way to slow down the Sparks’ dynamic duo. Two Batmans won’t be easily defeated.

“Right now they are both extremely valuable to our play, but the nice thing for us is that they complement each other and they like playing together and they look for each other,” said Agler. “And that’s really important if you’re going to achieve at a high level.”