Sylvia Fowles and the Minnesota Lynx weren't about to let their season end in Los Angeles.
The league's MVP helped the Lynx force a decisive fifth game in the WNBA finals by scoring 22 points and grabbing 14 rebounds as Minnesota beat the Los Angeles Sparks 80-69 on Sunday.
That squared the series at 2-2. It's also the second consecutive year that these two teams will play a deciding game in Minnesota for the crown.
"Advantage? No, we're back in game five. We wanted to make sure we came out and we played well," Fowles said.
Minnesota, which is trying for its fourth title in seven years, played extremely well as they dominated inside the paint with baskets and rebounds.
Lynx outrebounded the Sparks 48-28, which was a turn around from game three when Los Angeles had been far more physical inside.
"To compete with Minnesota, you have to stay in the same game with them in the rebounding," Sparks coach Brian Agler said.
"Obviously, that was a wide margin. They were more aggressive, no question. They doubled our free throw attempts.
"I'm not saying that to debate the officiating. The point is they were a lot more aggressive and got themselves to the free-throw line.
"We didn't play the way we needed to play to have success against them."
Odyssey Sims led the Sparks with 18 points and Nneka Ogwumike added 17. No Sparks player reached double figures in rebounding.
Before tipoff the Sparks went into their locker room during the playing of the US national anthem in silent protest for the fourth consecutive game.
NFL players are "taking a knee" to show solidarity with victims of police brutality but the NBA has rules not allowing kneeling in the anthem.
