Tricia Liston, Minnesota Lynx capture WNBA title

Tricia Liston's NCAA tournament journeys always ended short of the ultimate goal—three Elite Eight losses kept a trip to the biggest stage at bay.

But at last, she has some national bragging rights, capturing a crown in the Target Center—the soon-to-be-home of championship-winning point guard Tyus Jones.  

Liston's Minnesota Lynx defeated the Indiana Fever 69-52 Wednesday night in the decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals, capturing the team's third WNBA title in the past five years. Although the Fever held former Connecticut standout Maya Moore to single-digit scoring for the first time in the series, the former Louisiana State duo of Seimone Augustus and Sylvia Fowles combined for 36 points and 14 rebounds as the Lynx pulled away in the third quarter.

Liston—Duke's all-time leader in made 3-pointers—made appearances in two games for Minnesota in the Finals off the bench, knocking down a free throw in Sunday's Game 4 loss. The 6-foot-1 sharpshooter finished her second year in the league averaging 3.4 points in 12.0 minutes per game on 42.9 percent shooting from behind the arc.