Minnesota Lynx Finals Appearances

The Minnesota Lynx were founded in 1999 and have since grown to be one of the most successful teams in the WNBA. The Lynx are known for their toughness and fighting nature and have won four WNBA championships (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017) and have been to the finals six times. Their history is associated with such stars as Seimone Augustus, Maya Moore, and Sylvia Fowles, who impressed the spectators with their performances and workaholic attitude. For the last ten years (as of 2024), the Lynx have been a team that has mostly been in the playoffs, which is an indication of a good organizational culture and a good game plan. The team has a strong bond with the fans and has built a strong fan base that follows the team’s success and supports them throughout the season.

How many championships have the Minnesota Lynx won?

The Minnesota Lynx have won the WNBA championships in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. Their success is best illustrated by a string of dominance in the 2010s where the team was in the finals of the competition for six out of seven years (2011-2017). This period was characterized by great players such as Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, and Sylvia Fowles.

At this time, the Lynx cemented themselves as one of the dominant teams in the league and always made deep playoff runs. They made it to the playoffs for several years in a row, which proved their endurance and their ability to think tactically. Mentioned below are the Finals series they have won over the years:

Team Name	Head Coach	Against	Final Date and Year	Venue	Minnesota Lynx Wins/Losses by Game in Series
Minnesota Lynx	Cheryl Reeve	Atlanta Dream	October 7, 2011	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-0)
Minnesota Lynx	Cheryl Reeve	Atlanta Dream	October 10, 2013	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-0)
Minnesota Lynx	Cheryl Reeve	Indiana Fever	October 14, 2015	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-2)
Minnesota Lynx	Cheryl Reeve	Los Angeles Sparks	October 4, 2017	Williams Arena, Minneapolis	Won (3-2)

Minnesota Lynx Finals Appearance History

The Minnesota Lynx are one of the most successful teams in the WNBA when it comes to Finals appearances, especially in the 2010s. Their first finals appearance was in 2011 and they won their first title after they triumphed over the Atlanta Dream. This was the start of the Lynx’s reign in the league and the start of a long string of victories. They got back to the Finals in 2012 but lost to the Indiana Fever. But they lost it in 2012, only to regain it in 2013 after defeating the Atlanta Dream in straight sets.

The Lynx were back at their best in 2015 and successfully defended their title by defeating the Indiana Fever in the final. The following year they reached the finals but lost to the Los Angeles Sparks in a closely contested five-match series. The Lynx was able to prove its mettle in the 2017 season where they were able to clinch their fourth championship after suffering a defeat at the hands of the Sparks in the previous season.

Over these years, the Lynx were anchored by a cast of outstanding players, which include Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, and Sylvia Fowles, who were instrumental in the team’s finals appearances. The team has been able to perform well and even challenge for the championship year in and year out making the team one of the most successful teams in the WNBA. Below is an account of the times the Minnesota Lynx have found themselves in a WNBA Finals series over the years:

Year	Head Coach	Against	Venue	Result
2011	Cheryl Reeve	Atlanta Dream	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-0)
2012	Cheryl Reeve	Indiana Fever	Target Center, Minneapolis	Lost (1-3)
2013	Cheryl Reeve	Atlanta Dream	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-0)
2015	Cheryl Reeve	Indiana Fever	Target Center, Minneapolis	Won (3-2)
2016	Cheryl Reeve	Los Angeles Sparks	Target Center, Minneapolis	Lost (2-3)
2017	Cheryl Reeve	Los Angeles Sparks	Williams Arena, Minneapolis	Won (3-2)

What teams did the Minnesota Lynx lose the Championship Finals against?

The Minnesota Lynx have lost the WNBA Championship Finals against two teams:

Indiana Fever (2012):

Lynx and the Fever were the two teams that contested in the 2012 Finals. However, the Lynx were eliminated in the series 3-1 even though they had a good season. The Fever, with Tamika Catchings as their leader, played great defense and came up big in the clutch to win their first WNBA championship.

Los Angeles Sparks (2016):

The most exciting Finals series in WNBA history saw the Lynx face the Sparks. The series proceeded to the final and deciding Game 5 in which the Sparks triumphed over the Lynx with 77-76. The championship was the first for the Sparks since 2002 and was won with a last-second shot by Nneka Ogwumike.

Minnesota Lynx Last Finals Appearance

The last time the Minnesota Lynx played in the finals (as of September 2024) was in 2017 and it was a very competitive match against the Los Angeles Sparks. This was the second time that these two teams were meeting and the Lynx had lost the previous season’s finals by a whisker. The Lynx were not going to let their title slip easily and thus, they fought hard throughout the series.

The Finals were played to a fifth and deciding game at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. In a very intense and long-fought game, the Lynx came out on top and won their fourth WNBA title with a score of 85-76. Sylvia Fowles was awarded the Finals MVP due to her great performances in the series. This win not only gave them sweet revenge for the loss they suffered in the previous year but also ensured that the Lynx remained one of the most successful franchises in the history of the WNBA.