On Sunday, the WNBA Finals tipped off with game 1 of the series in Minnesota. The first game featured a close finish as the defending champion Los Angeles Sparks managed to outlast the Minnesota Lynx. An 85-84 finish came as the visitors held off a furious comeback attempt by the home team. Chelsea Gray led the way as all five Sparks starters scored in double digits. Here's the Sparks vs. Lynx Game 1 recap with top performers, stats, and when the next games of the series will take place.

Game 1 recap

The Los Angeles Sparks opened with a 32-11 first quarter, leaving the home team's fans in shock.

Minnesota responded with a 22-11 second quarter which made it a 43-33 lead by the Sparks at the half. L.A. kept their momentum in the third with a 25-23 quarter, but the fourth saw the home team surging. They outscored the visitors 28-17. With under a minute to go, the two teams traded the lead down the stretch. Maya Moore's layup made it 84-83 with just six seconds to go. However, Chelsea Gray hit a 14-foot jump shot to reclaim the lead for good for the Sparks. Maya Moore was called for traveling with a second left and L.A. escaped with a win.

Chelsea Gray finished with 27 points on 10-for-16 shooting to lead the Sparks to the win. She also dished out six assists for her team. Candace Parker had a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Odyssey Sims scored 16 points, had five assists, and four rebounds, while Nneka Ogwumike had 11 points and six boards.

In the losing effort, the Minnesota Lynx got 27 points from Maya Moore on 10-of-16 shooting. WNBA MVP Sylvia Fowles scored 22 points and snatched 13 rebounds, while Seimone Augustus had 19 points to go with her eight rebounds and four assists.

The home team shot 50 percent overall and 35.7 percent from downtown while the visitors shot at a rate of 47.8 percent and 35 percent from downtown. In terms of the rebounding battle, Minnesota edged the Sparks 35-34 but also had 15 turnovers while L.A. had 14.

Standings & next games

Los Angeles now takes a 1-0 series lead in this best-of-five matchup.

The next game will also be held in Minnesota. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, September 26th beginning at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Game 3 will take place in Los Angeles on Friday, September 29th at 9 p.m. ET, also with ESPN2 again televising the contest. If necessary, a fourth game would be played in L.A. on Sunday, October 1st with a start time of 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
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