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University of Minnesota Athletics
10/21/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
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Lindsay Whalen and Janel McCarville, the final two Gophers in 2016 WNBA action, saw their season end at home in a thrilling Game 5 of the Finals. The Minnesota Lynx fell 77-76 to the Los Angeles Sparks, ending their bid for a fourth league title.
McCarville missed the game with a back injury, but Whalen started and tallied 10 points and five assists. Late in the fourth quarter, a big play by Whalen capped a run that erased an eight-point Sparks lead. Whalen stole an inbounds pass and took it to the rim for a game-tying layup.
Teams traded points after Whalen knotted the game at 71. Nneke Ogwumike's basket with 3.1 seconds left gave L.A. a 77-76 lead. Whalen's final long 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed.
Whalen averaged 13.1 points and 3.9 assists during the 2016 WNBA Playoffs. She has career playoff averages of 12.1 points and 4.1 assists in 73 playoff games, all starts. Whalen has been part of all three Lynx championships, and McCarville was on the 2013 team.
