10 Numbers That Tell the Story of the Finals So Far


The most important numbers in these WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile are 1 and 2 — 1 being the number of wins each team has, and 2 being the number they need to become champions.

But there are plenty of other numbers that illustrate how this series has gone and where it could be headed.

The rundown:

Go to WNBA.com’s Finals Central Hub

35: Playoff wins in the Fever’s history, one shy of a new record

The Fever have long been one of the league’s most successful franchises. Indiana has made the postseason a record 11 straight times and have reached the Conference Finals in five straight years. With consistency like that, it’s no surprise that with one more win, they will own the most victories in WNBA playoff history, passing the Los Angeles Sparks.

74: Points in the paint Minnesota has scored in the first two games

Much was made of the marquee matchups in the paint prior to this series and it appears that the Lynx — namely Sylvia Fowles — have gotten the better of the duel in the post thus far. The Lynx have scored just more half of their 146 points in the first two games in the paint. Fowles accounts for 42 of those.

64: The number of postseason games Tamika Catchings has played in (tied most all-time)

Tamika Catchings just continues to make history in her fourteenth season in the WNBA. Catchings, who is chasing her second WNBA title, has now played in 64 playoff games, which is tied with one-time Lynx forward Taj McWilliams-Franklin for the most all-time. She’s set to move into the top spot Friday night at home in Game 3.

80: Sylvia Fowles’ shooting percentage since the first half of Game 1

Sylvia Fowles has left an imprint on both of the first two games of this series in a number of areas, but perhaps none larger than her scoring in the post. She’s getting to her spots, making quick decisions in the post and not allowing much time for Indiana to send two defenders at her.

97: The Fever’s free-throw percentage in the first two games

In a hostile, road environment, the Fever have been unfazed at the line. Indiana connected on all 16 of their free-throw attempts in Game 1 — compared to 15-for-23 for the Lynx, one of the key factors in the game — and then followed up that with a 14-for-15 performance from the charity strip in Game 2.

2: Number of three-pointers for Minnesota in two games

Indiana has been locked in defensively and has not allowed the Lynx to impact the game from the perimeter. Minnesota is shooting just 2-for-18 (11%) from the deep, a far cry from the 33.3% it averaged during the regular season – which was good for the fourth-best accuracy in the league. In the playoffs, Minnesota is shooting a measly 26.6% from beyond the arc.

18: Briann January’s scoring average in Games 1 and 2

Fever guard Briann January scored a season-high 19 points in Game 1 and followed that up with 17 more in Game 2. She’s raised her game a level after averaging  8.1 per game in the regular season. Her clutch shot-making ability is a big reason this series has been so tight.

1: Number of offensive rebounds recorded by Rebekkah Brunson

Minnesota Lynx forward Rebekkah Brunson has one offensive rebound in the 2015 WNBA Finals presented by Boost Mobile. Yes, one. The all-time playoff leader in offensive rebounds has been kept off the glass by Indiana. Just one series ago she was dominant on the offensive glass against Phoenix, logging seven offensive rebounds in Game 1.

18: Number of threes Marissa Coleman has hit this postseason 

Indiana’s Marissa Coleman earned her first All-Star nod this season, and she’s shown why in these playoffs. Coleman has hit big shot after big shot to silence opposing crowds and has drained a playoff-best 18 three-point baskets through eight games.

22: +/- for Anna Cruz in Game 2 

One of the Minnesota’s X-factors, Anna Cruz showed her value in Game 2. Facing a 1-0 deficit, the series hinged on Minnesota’s defensive intensity on the perimeter and Cruz was right in the middle of that. Of all the statistics in Game 2, perhaps the most startling was that Cruz finished the game with a plus-minus of plus-22, 10 points better than the second-best player on either team.