Sparks take Game 1 of WNBA Finals in thriller

MINNEAPOLIS -- Alana Beard's shot at the buzzer gave the Los Angeles Sparks a 78-76 win against the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at the Target Center.

Nneka Ogwumike and Kristi Toliver each scored 19 for the Sparks. Ogwumike came out with the early jump, scoring her team’s first six points down low in the paint. Beard only had four points in the game, the last two being the most important.

Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles and Lindsay Whalen had 18 points each for the Lynx.

It was a back-and-forth affair throughout the second half until the Sparks broke the 76-76 tie right as time expired.