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MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve is an expert at analyzing her team, but this is one thing she really cant explain.In each of their five WNBA Finals appearances, the Lynx have had the best record and been the host for the first two games. However, theyve lost the opener now three times.Isnt that crazy? Reeve mused. I kind of went back and thought about it. I think each year is different, but it was surprising to me.Los Angeles won 78-76 on Alana Beards buzzer-beater on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Even while the game was being played, the Lynx knew what their biggest problems were: turnovers and fouls. But they werent able to satisfactorily fix those things before it was too late.Its two good teams going against each other, Minnesotas Maya Moore said. We cant give up easy points in transition off their aggressive defense. Its about moment-by-moment getting the ball where we want it on offense.Of course, the Sparks feel like they have things to clean up as well, despite winning the game.Theyre going to adjust to our pressure, for sure, L.A.s Candace Parker said. But we lost a lot of statistical categories, too. So this isnt just about them having to adjust to us. We have to make adjustments, too.Now well see which path the series takes from here. The teams meet again at Target Center on Tuesday (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET) and the Lynx will try to become the first team to hold court in this series in 2016. The visiting team has won all four previous meetings this season.Sometimes, results of past seasons are irrelevant because personnel is different. But since Minnesotas core and coaching staff are the same, there is some reason to look back on those two previous Game 1 losses to see what the Lynx did then and how they responded.In 2012, the Lynx lost Game 1 to Indiana 76-70, and turnovers cost Minnesota then, too. The Lynx bounced back and won the second game, but then lost twice at Indiana, and the Fever got the championship.Then last year, again going against Indiana, the Lynx lost 75-69 in Game 1. Once more, turnovers were a factor, as was the Lynxs 15-of-23 shooting from the line, while the Fever went 16-for-16.But the Lynx ended up winning the series, taking the second game behind powerful performances from Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, and the third game on Moores buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Indiana won Game 4, but Minnesota won the decisive fifth game basically by attrition, 69-52. The Lynx had worn out the Fever by then.That might be a factor in this 2016 WNBA Finals, too, especially if it goes five games. Sunday, Los Angeles coach Brian Agler stuck with a seven-player rotation, while Reeve used 10 players.I think well go deeper, but [Sunday] just wasnt that time, Agler said. It was sort of a gut feeling, and sometimes you just go with what was working. Im sure that going forward, well use our eighth and ninth players a little bit more.When the teams first met this season, on June 21 in Los Angeles, it was close throughout with the Lynx winning 72-69 on Renee Montgomerys 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left.Three days later in Minneapolis, the Sparks took over the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lynx 29-17 for a 94-76 victory.They didnt play again until Sept. 6 in Los Angeles, and the Lynx were up by 10 with 35 seconds left. Game over? Not quite. The Lynx won 77-74, but a scoring surge from Sparks guard Chelsea Gray kept things uncomfortable down the stretch.The Sparks prevailing on Sunday in Minneapolis sent the crowd home disappointed, and the Lynx players were frustrated, too. But not overly so, since theyve been through this before. The Lynx dont lose a lot of games, period. But they especially dont lose much when they shoot 51 percent from the field, as they did Sunday (31 of 61).Minnesotas Seimone Augustus said after the game, she shut off her phone -- I didnt want to talk to anybody -- and went home to get a good nights sleep. She knew Mondays film session wouldnt be much fun, but would help.You can hit the rewind button and play it again. And hit the rewind and play it again, Augustus said of reviewing mistakes the Lynx made. Its something that we need.Its minor details that weve got to work out. Weve got to be smarter with the passes. Just knowing that theyre going to collapse on the ball. Youve got to be able to handle the pressure. Its the Finals and [the Sparks] came in to win, and thats what they did. Now weve got to put the pedal to the metal. Josh Jackson Jersey . 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Ravens LB Elvis Dumervil (11:15 a.m. ET), ESPN MLB Insider Tim Kurkjian (12 p.m.) and actors Bryan Cranston and Benjamin Bratt (TBD) join Jorge Sedano and Israel Gutierrez.Text us at 67974 (msg&data rates may apply) or tweet us at @LeBatardShow and @Stugotz790 -- well be with you from 10 a.ddddddddddddm. to 1 p.m. ET on ESPN Radio, ESPNRadio.com and ESPNU. ' ' '