LOS ANGELES – In her postgame interview following Friday’s Game 3 victory, Candace Parker praised her team for playing with such a strong level of fight, desire, and purpose that they didn’t have in their Game 2 loss.

“Now it’s about how we manifest that anger and that hunger for the next game coming off of a win.”

Through the first three games of this WNBA Finals – and actually going all the way back through the season series as well – the Sparks and Lynx have traded wins as the team coming off the loss has come back with a greater level of intensity in the following game.

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The first meeting between these teams came on June 21 when the Lynx edged out the Sparks on a last-second 3-pointer to win the battle of unbeaten teams. Three days later the Sparks headed to Minnesota and avenged the loss, handing the Lynx their first defeat of the season to snap their record-breaking start at 13-0. In the final matchup of the regular season following the Olympic break, the Lynx took down the Sparks in a game that had a lot to do with Minnesota finishing with league’s top record and home-court advantage in these Finals.

Then, there was Game 1 of the Finals and its amazing finish with Alana Beard knocking down only the third buzzer-beating game-winner in WNBA Finals history. The Sparks got the thrilling win on the road and stole the home-court advantage, but came back two days later and were held to a season-low 60 points in a 19-point loss.

“After Game 1 our high was a little too high and they brought us down a few pegs in Game 2,” said Nneka Ogwumike from the Staples Center following Saturday’s practice session. “But one thing that our team has been great about this year is learning from second chances and I think we have definitely learned from Games 1 through 3 in this series.”

“I think it was a little bit of a celebratory hangover, collectively,” said Kristi Toliver of the team’s performance in Game 2 following the Game 1 high. “And that’s just something you learn, that’s growth. Hopefully we’ve learned that lesson quickly and moved on.”

“Well it’s human nature to relax,” said Parker. “If it was easy to win games and to manifest that kind of aggression then I think everybody would do it and it would be easy to win a championship, but it’s not. I think we’ve seen the tale of two stories. One where we came out passive and we got our butts whooped and then one when we were the aggressor. All we can control is our effort and our energy and that’s what we need to focus on.”

After the Lynx taught the Sparks a lesson in Game 2, the Sparks returned the favor emphatically in the first quarter of Game 3, as they built a 22-point lead in the game’s first eight minutes. The Sparks played with a level of urgency that caught the Lynx on their heels.

“That first punch that they threw landed, and it kind of changed us,” said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, whose team fought back to close the lead to eight at the half, but could get no closer the rest of the way.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that we don’t want to go to back to Minnesota.” – Candace Parker

So, if this this back-and-forth pattern continues, it is now time for the Lynx to roar back in Game 4 as their season and quest to defend their title are on the line.

While the Lynx have the motivation of being in a win-or-go-home situation, the Sparks have to find a way to match that same level of desperation on Sunday night in order to avoid having to return to Minnesota for a decisive Game 5.

“Our backs are against the wall; we have to play as such,” said Parker. “I don’t think it’s a secret that we don’t want to go to back to Minnesota. They’re a great team and have come from behind in series in the past. They’ve been here and they’ve had the experience in this. There is no way they are going to fall apart. They have great leadership from top to bottom. We can’t expect them to give it to us or to lay down and just hand it to us. That’s not going to happen.”

The Sparks cannot afford to have another letdown following a win in this series – especially with this being their last home game of the season – win or lose.

“You’ve got to stay on your edge,” said Sparks coach Brian Agler. “You’re going to go through your highs and lows but you’ve got to have that certain edge and focus and concentration and hunger to be successful. … I won’t know until tomorrow. You say the right things; everybody’s feeling good, you feel like everybody’s hungry. But I also know Minnesota’s the opposite. They’re pissed. They’re upset. They’re bothered. That has a tendency to get you refocused in a hurry.”

“We have put ourselves in a great position and we want to be able to take advantage of the opportunity.” – Nneka Ogwumike

The Sparks know they are going to get the best the Lynx have to offer on Sunday night, but they are ready to seize on this moment and find a way to close this series out at home.

“We have a mindset that is focused on playing well, playing together and getting wins,” said Ogwumike. “It’s not over until it’s over obviously, but I’m not sure if it will really hit me until after it’s done. We have put ourselves in a great position and we want to be able to take advantage of the opportunity.”

“It feels good to be able to control your own destiny and not depend on other people to do it,” said Parker. “I think we’re excited about the opportunity and we’re excited about the chance to play and to have this moment. I mean you have to stop and think you’re playing in the WNBA Finals and there’s been so many times that I’ve been on the outside looking in like ‘Man I wish I was there.’ So just from a maturity standpoint, I realize how special it is.”