2011 WNBA Finals: Minnesota Defeats Atlanta 73-67 To Win Championship

A rough third quarter proved costly for the Atlanta Dream as they were defeated by the Minnesota Lynx 73-67 and swept out of the WNBA Finals. Seimone Augustus led the way for the Lynx scoring 16 points and was named as Finals MVP. 

Atlanta led at halftime in all three games but was unable to hold the lead in the second half. The Dream came out sluggish in the third period where they were outscored 19-8 by the Lynx and they never were able to find their rhythm on offense with Minnesota successfully controlling the pace. 

Angel McCoughtry finished with a game-high 25 points but needed 25 shots to reach that total. Erika De Souza finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds. Iziane Castro Marques added nine points off the bench including a three pointer that cut the Minnesota lead to just one point late in the fourth. 

Maya Moore scored 15 points and added yet another championship to her remarkable career. Rebekkah Brunson finished with 13 points and nine rebounds while Candice Wiggins added 10. 

Atlanta looked tired in most of this game like the weight of an entire season had finally come crashing down on their shoulders. They hit just 35 percent of their shots in Game 3. After the game, Marynell Meadors gave credit to Minnesota for their balance. Consider that Atlanta lost despite forcing 20 turnovers and attempting 17 more shots than the Lynx. Minnesota's defense made Atlanta work and they simply couldn't put a shot down when they needed it the most. 

For more on the this game and the WNBA, be sure and check out Swish Appeal.