The reigning WNBA champions, the Los Angeles Sparks, begin their title defense as the WNBA Finals begin on Sunday afternoon. They'll be facing the team they beat in last year's finals, the Minnesota Lynx, on Minnesota's home court. Last year's series ended with a controversial final few minutes leading to the Sparks' title win. Here's the WNBA Finals Game 1 preview for the Sparks vs. Lynx including game time, odds, TV Channel, and how to watch on live stream feed.

Game 1 preview

The Los Angeles Sparks enter this game after defeating the Phoenix Mercury in a three-game sweep in the semifinals.

The reigning champs and former WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike will try to grab an important first win on their opponent's home court. During the regular season, the Sparks won the series 2-1 with one of those wins coming on Minnesota's court on August 11th. Candace Parker led her team in that regular season win, scoring 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting while also grabbing 10 rebounds.

The Minnesota Lynx eliminated the Washington Mystics in their semifinals matchup to get to the Finals. As mentioned, Minnesota won just one game of the season series versus Los Angeles back on July 6th and did so 88-77. The two teams battled amongst the top of the WNBA standings for most of the season, but the Lynx clearly set the bar for which team would stay there.

Now they'll look to avenge last year's loss in the Finals as brand new WNBA MVP Sylvia Fowles will try to lead her team to the Game 1 win.

In terms of odds to win this first matchup of the five-game series, Odds Shark lists the home team as a four-point favorite on the spread. On the money line, the Lynx are -220 compared to +190 for the visiting Sparks.

The over/under points total available at several sportsbooks is 157 points for the game in Minnesota.

How to watch live

Game 1 of the WNBA Finals featuring the Los Angeles Sparks vs. Minnesota Lynx is scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time, or 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Live television coverage will be made available exclusively on the ESPN channel around the nation.

For live streaming, cable and satellite subscribers should use their WatchESPN website or mobile apps.

Additionally, anyone who wants a free option to see the game live streaming online might consider SlingTV. This channel streaming service is currently available on a one-week free trial basis for new customers. Those who sign up should choose the Sling Orange package which includes ESPN, ESPN2, and several other TV channels to enjoy online for the next week.
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