The WNBA’s 20th season comes down to one final game as a champion will be crowned on Thursday night (8PM ET, ESPN 2).

“Here we go. For only the fifth time in WNBA history, the Finals have reached a fifth and deciding game. The Lynx and Sparks are set to do battle one last time on Thursday night. These Finals have been insane, an emotional rollercoaster with outstanding on-court drama. … One thing’s for sure – we’re in for a show.” – Max Resetar, Slam Magazine

“That the Lynx are going for their fourth championship in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET) at Target Center is a big deal. But that home-state hero [Lindsay] Whalen has been with the Lynx throughout their six-year run of success has made it even sweeter for fans.” – Mechelle Voepel, ESPN.com

“Seimone Augustus was a 13-year-old girl when she watched the Houston Comets win the first WNBA championship in 1997. … Two decades later, Augustus and the Minnesota Lynx stand on the precipice of joining those trailblazing women. A victory over the Los Angeles Sparks in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Thursday night would give the Lynx their fourth title, tying them with the Comets for most in league history.” – Jon Krawczynski, Associated Press

“On Friday, when the league announced its all-W.N.B.A. first and second teams, [Candace] Parker’s name was absent. But Parker said that did not stress her out, displaying an attitude she cultivated while in college at Tennessee under the tutelage of the Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt. … Because she has heeded Summitt’s lessons, Parker has had a more important goal come into focus: With a Sparks victory in Thursday’s decisive Game 5 of the W.N.B.A. finals, Parker would capture her first title.” – Seth Berkman, New York Times

“From Alana Beard’s buzzer beater in Game 1, to Maya Moore’s insane Game 4 performance that helped force a Game 5, these athletes are demanding that sports fans pay attention to them, this series, and this league.” – Ashley Bastock, Swish Appeal