Los Angeles Sparks v Minnesota Lynx - 2016 WNBA Finals - Game Five — The Los Angeles Sparks, with majority owner Magic Johnson celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the 2016 WNBA Finals. (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)

The WNBA concluded its milestone 20th season with an epic fifth and final game of the WNBA Finals. This particular series will definitely go down as one of the most entertaining and thrilling final series in league history.

The Sparks were coming into the championship series with the league’s second best record at 26-8 and were trying to win their third championship in franchise history, and first in a 14 year span since Lisa Leslie led the team to back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. Many believed they had the best chance to challenge Minnesota for the title. The Sparks were led all season by Nneka Ogwumike and two-time league MVP Candace Parker.

Minnesota was the defending champion coming into the WNBA Finals, and had the league’s best record at 28-6. They were looking to win back-to-back titles for the first time, and title number four overall. They were led all season by their outstanding three Olympians: Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, and Lindsay Whalen.

From Alana Beard’s buzzer beater in Game 1 to give the Sparks a key win on the road in Minnesota, to momentum shifts in Games 2 and 3. A great battle in Game 4 where Maya Moore kept the defending champion Lynx alive with her superstar heroics. To a wild and exciting final game where it came down to the last shot of the season. This series had everything you could ask for to decide a champion.

In the end, it was the Los Angeles Sparks, led by WNBA MVP Nneka Ogwumike and Candace Parker who won the title on Ogwumike’s offensive rebound and put back shot with 3 seconds left to seal the Sparks’ third championship in franchise history, and first in 14 years. An emotional Candace Parker, who won her first ever WNBA championship, dedicated her title to the legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt, who passed away earlier this year. “This is for Pat [Summitt],” Parker said in a postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe.

It was an amazing and fitting end to a historical season in the WNBA, whom most people would have never imagined would have made it to 20 years in existence. Hopefully the league lives on for another 20 years and flourishes with great talent and great basketball.