The WNBA

Joan Niesen's posting, "There's an unfair bias against WNBA" is worth a read.  I've commented here before on the shabby treatment the Minnesota Lynx receive from the media (here).  At the moment, the Lynx are 9-0 and playing great basketball, but you would hardly know it from the sports news websites.  Niesen, writing about the Lynx, makes the larger point that women's professional basketball generally is treated as a second-class enterprise that is compared unfavorably and unfairly to the NBA.  She makes good points.  This prejudice is particularly galling, however, when it comes to Minnesota professional sports where, right now, fans are feeling "better" about the baseball Twins because they almost don't have the worst record in the American League—almost.

End of a Twenty Year Drought

Last night, the Minnesota Lynx won its first WNBA basketball title, beating the Atlanta Dream 73-67 to sweep the best of five championship series.  In each game, the Lynx went into the locker room at half-time losing the game.  It took fourth quarter surges in games 1 and 2 for the Lynx to win those games.  In game 3, the Lynx had to hold on in the face of a late surge by the Dream, which they did admirably.  It was a great game with all of the drama one would expect of a finals bout.

Now, here's the thing.  This is the first championship title won by a professional Minnesota sports team since the Minnesota Twins last won the World Series in 1991.  Moreover, the Lynx last night achieved something that the football Vikings, basketball Timberwolves, and hockey Wild (or the old North Stars) have yet to achieve, a championship season start to finish.  Well done, Lynx!

So, guys, who is next?  And how much longer do the long-suffering fans of Minnesota have to wait?