The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1999 season. The team is owned by Glen Taylor, who also owns the Lynx' NBA counterpart, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lynx have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in four of their fourteen years in Minnesota. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Katie Smith, explosive small-forward Seimone Augustus, hometown point guard Lindsay Whalen, and Connecticut standout Maya Moore. The team is the reigning champion of the WNBA, having won the 2011 WNBA Finals.

Founded in 1996, the Los Angeles Sparks play in the Western Conference of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). The LA Sparks have won three WNBA Championships (2001, 2002, 2016), remain the only active team in the league to have won back-to-back titles, and enter the 2017 campaign having qualified for the playoffs in 16 of their 20 seasons. Guided by an ownership group led by five-time NBA Champion Magic Johnson and Guggenheim Partners CEO Mark Walter, the LA Sparks are dedicated to ensuring each home game at Staples Center has a championship entertainment experience, while showcasing the best female athletes from around the world. #WeRise