![Candace Parker helped lead the Sparks to a big win at home over the Minnesota Lynx. [Image via WNBA/YouTUbe]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2017/8/27/660x290/b_502x220x82/candace-parker-helped-lead-the-sparks-to-a-big-win-at-home-over-the-minnesota-lynx-image-via-wnbayoutube_1533921.jpg "Candace Parker helped lead the Sparks to a big win at home over the Minnesota Lynx. [Image via WNBA/YouTUbe]")
The Los Angeles Sparks hosted the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday in a game with possible playoff implications down the road. L.A. was able to come away with a huge win to move within a half game of the Lynx for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. That could come into play if the two teams end up meeting in the WNBA Finals as the top seed will hold home court advantage. Here's the latest Lynx vs. Sparks game recap with top performers, stats, a standings update, and what's next for the two teams.
Game recap
WNBA All-Star Candace Parker led the way in today's win for the Los Angeles Sparks.
Parker scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting which included a 3-of-6 rate from downtown. She also grabbed 10 boards, dished out three assists, and stole the ball twice. Teammate Chelsea Gray scored 16 points to go with six boards and five assists, while Odyssey Sims had 12 points. Nneka Ogwumike was held to just eight points but had six boards and four assists in the win.
For the losing side, the Minnesota Lynx got 17 points and 14 rebounds from their All-Star Sylvia Fowles. Fellow All-Star Maya Moore had 10 points on 4-for-11 shooting which included her hitting two of her 3-point shots. No other Lynx players finished with more than nine points as Seimone Augustus and Alexis Jones each scored nine.
Augustus also had six assists to lead the team in that category.
Los Angeles took control of today's game from the start, as they were up 22-15 after one quarter and 46-32 at the half. They outscored the Lynx 23-21 in the third quarter and only were outscored 14-9 in the fourth but by then they had the game in their control.
Minnesota actually shot better than the home team as they hit at a rate of 49.2 percent for the game and 33.3 percent from long range. The Sparks shot at a rate of 47 percent overall and 22.2 percent from downtown. The Lynx won the rebounding battle 32-31, but their 18 turnovers were 10 more than the home team had, leading to their demise.
Standings and what's next
With today's loss, the Minnesota Lynx are 24-7 for their season. They're still holding onto the top spot in the WNBA ahead of the playoffs, but not by much. With three games to go, they'll play at the Indiana Fever next. That game is scheduled for Wednesday night at 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
Today's win moves the Los Angeles Sparks to 24-8 for the season. The team is now just a half-game behind Minnesota for the top record in the WNBA with two games remaining on their schedule. Next up, the Sparks play another home game as they'll host the Atlanta Dream on September 1st at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
