The Minnesota Lynx took out the WNBA championship Friday, winning 73-67 to complete a three-game sweep of the Atlanta Dream. Seimone Augustus had 16 points and Maya Moore, returning to her Atlanta home, had 15 to lead a balanced scoring attack as the Lynx won their first WNBA title. Minnesota closed the postseason with six straight wins, including sweeps of Phoenix in the Western Conference finals and Atlanta in the championship series. Most Minnesota players celebrated in a pile of hugs on the court. Taj McWilliams-Franklin, the 41-year-old starting center, headed to the bench to engulf coach Cheryl Reeve in a hug. Angel McCoughtry led Atlanta with 22 points. Erika de Souza, who had 11, was the only other scorer in double figures for Atlanta, which has been swept in the finals series two years in a row, having lost to Seattle last season. The Dream trailed by eight points in the final quarter before making a late charge. Two free throws by McCoughtry cut Minnesota's lead to 64-60, then a turnover allowed Iziane Castro Marques to hit a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the lead to one with 1:17 remaining. Poor shooting from the field forced Atlanta to foul in the final minute. Two free throws by McWilliams-Franklin and another free throw by Lindsay Whalen pushed the lead to 67-63. Following a miss by Castro Marques, McWilliams-Franklin added two more free throws with 35 seconds remaining. McCoughtry had two late layups, but the Dream could come no closer than four points in the final 30 seconds.
