States coach the past four years.- UTSA coac

All season long the Minnesota Lynx and Los Angeles Sparks have been the best two teams in the WNBA.Thanks to the new playoff format, the pair of Western Conference teams will meet in the WNBA Finals. Game 1 is Sunday.A year ago these two powerhouses would have played in the conference finals with the winner being a huge favorite to go on and win the championship. The Western Conference champion has won the leagues title in six of the last seven years.Its going to be a great matchup, Minnesota forward Maya Moore said. I think the Sparks and the Lynx have shown that were the best two teams in the league. There have been some really fun games to play in and to watch during the regular season. I think youre going to see the best of the best at their best for a good series.Minnesota is trying to win its second straight title and fourth in the last six year. The Lynx would be the first repeat champion since Los Angeles did it in 2001 and 2002. A win by the Sparks would be their first title since then and the first for Candace Parker.Yeah, it has hit me. I think Ive learned to appreciate it and absorb the moment and to not take it for granted, Parker said. Thats the biggest thing, just realizing that it is an opportunity and while youre here focused on business, you can still understand that youre here and youve worked really hard to get here.Here are some things to look for in the WNBA Finals:STAR POWER: Each team has a plethora of talent. Los Angeles is led by league MVP Nneka Ogwumike and Parker. Ogwumike had an incredible season, shooting a league-best 66.5 percent from the field, the second highest mark ever. She averaged a career-best 19.7 points and 9.1 rebounds to help. Parker had another great year and is in the finals for the first time in her career.On the other side, Minnesota has an Olympic quartet of Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Sylvia Fowles and Seimone Augustus. The group helped lead the U.S. to a sixth consecutive gold medal and now has a chance to win another title.Both Parker and Moore have excelled when playing each other in the postseason. In five games, four won by Minnesota, Moore averaged 24 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists. Parker had 25.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists.GOING FOR FOUR: A championship would give Minnesota four, matching the Lynx with Houston for the most titles all-time in league history. The Comets won the first four championships in league history, but never made it back after 2000. The franchise folded after the 2008 season.TIP-INS: The road team won all three games during the regular season. ... Minnesotas coach Cheryl Reeve won the leagues coach of the year award. Los Angeles coach Brian Agler was the AP coach of the year. ... Sylvia Fowles was the consensus defensive player of the year and Jantel Lavender the sixth woman winner.20 AND COUNTING: The leagues 20th season has been stellar with all the metrics trending in the right direction. Attendance was up nearly 5 percent. So were merchandise sales, digital clicks and social media connection.QUOTABLE: Were kind of meeting our match, if you will, Reeve said. How we get things done is a little different. But both teams can score, both can defend. Its going to be a fight. Bernie Parent Jersey Large . Thats about all he can do right now, so hes trying not to think about when he might be able to play again for the Los Angeles Lakers. Custom Flyers Jerseys . 10 VCU 85-67 on Thursday night at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. The Seminoles (4-0) have scored at least 80 points in each of their games. http://www.customflyersjersey.com/ . "Four now," Carl Gunnarsson told the Leaf Report proudly following a 5-2 victory over New York on Tuesday night, the clubs fifth straight at home. Cheap Flyers Jerseys . The Masters champion and winner of last weeks Australian PGA has a three-round total of 14-under 199 at Royal Melbourne. "Im in a really good position for tomorrow," Scott said. Authentic Custom Flyers Jersey . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. IRVING, Texas -- Conference USA goes into a new season with no changes in its lineup of teams for the first time since 2012.The league has the same 13 teams that competed for the title last season, including defending champion Western Kentucky.There will be at least one change in 2017 with UABs return after a two-season hiatus, and who knows what happens if there is another national shift of teams. The Big 12, a Power Five conference headquartered just around the corner from the C-USA office, is considering expansion of its 10-team league.Were not blind to the fact that thats kind of what has been a hot topic the last couple of years ... and now it looks like its going to pick back up, WKU coach Jeff Brohm said. If we take care of our business and try to be a contender every year in the league, eventually good things will happen, but we like exactly where were at right now.Marshall coach Doc Holliday agrees, adding, Im not sure any of the other Group of Five is a better league than what we have right now.C-USA had 12 teams from 2005-12, though some teams changed during that span. There were 14 teams in 2013 with a bakers dozen in 2014, and again last year when FBS newcomer Charlotte came in as UAB temporarily shut down its program.THE FAVORITES:East Division: With a 5,000-yard passer last season, WKU averaged 50 points without losing a C-USA game. The Hilltoppers return all five starting offensive linemen, a record-setting receiver and a 1,000-yard rusher, but quarterback Brandon Doughty was a seventh-round NFL pick. WKUs toughest league games are on the road, at the other East favorites -- Middle Tennessee with its father-son coach-quarterback combo (Rick Stockstill is dean of C-USA coaches in his 11th season) and Marshall off three consecutive 10-win seasons -- and Louisiana Tech.West Division: Southern Miss, the alma mater of Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, was the most-improved FBS team last season, six wins better at 9-5 while winning the West and going to its first bowl game since 2011. Coach Todd Monken left for the NFL as offensive coordinator in Tampa Bay, but USMs record-setting quarterback is back. Fourth-year Louisiana Tech coach Skip Holtz (13-3 in C-USA games the last two years) has created the kind of depth that could help the Bulldogs overcomee the loss of running back Kenneth Dixon (26 total TDs) and their quarterback.ddddddddddddTOP PLAYERS- Southern Miss quarterback Nick Mullens. After 4,476 yards passing and 38 TDs last season, Mullens could emerge as a top NFL prospect as a senior.- WKU receiver Taywan Taylor. A nice target for the Hilltoppers new quarterback after 86 catches for 1,467 yards and 17 TDs last season.- Florida Athletic defensive end Trey Hendrickson. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder, C-USAs sack leader, had more than one sack in five games.- Louisiana Tech receiver Trent Taylor. Undersized at 5-8, he is big catching passes: 99 catches for 1,282 yards last year.- Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill. The lefty completed two-thirds of his passes (4,005 yards, 30 TDs, nine interceptions) as a freshman starting for his dad.NEW FACES- Marshall linebacker Davon Durant. A top junior college player who first went to Arizona State and got dismissed there, Durant could be a key player for a defense that lost seven starters.- North Texas coach Seth Littrell. North Carolinas play-caller the past two seasons hopes to have the same kind of spread-out, high-scoring offense in his first head coaching job.- Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson. Twice a Golden Eagles assistant in the past, Hopson was Alcorn States coach the past four years.- UTSA coach Frank Wilson. A first-time college coach after six seasons as LSUs recruiting coordinator.ON THE HOT SEAT- Ron Turner, FIU. The Panthers have gone from one to four to five wins under Turner. With a quarterback, running back and receiver among nine returning offensive starters, they need to be even better.- Charlie Partridge, Florida Atlantic. After consecutive 3-9 seasons, the Owls have 15 returning starters from a team that lost four games by a touchdown or less.-Brad Lambert, Charlotte. There are 19 fifth-year seniors who came as freshmen for the programs inception in 2012, a year before the first game. Could this be the last season as well for Lambert, 10-22 after a 2-10 FBS debut last year.PICKSEast: Middle Tennessee. West: Southern Miss. League champion: Middle Tennessee.---AP college football website: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '