MINNEAPOLIS -- The WNBA announced its top 20 players in the leagues first 20 seasons earlier this season, and several of them were on hand for Game 1 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center on Sunday. Colin Wilson Jersey .If anybody knows what it takes to win a WNBA championship, its this group. Here are some of their thoughts on the Minnesota vs. Los Angeles series.Sue Bird: I dont think its as simple as saying, This team is better inside, or This team has a better bench. At the end of the day, that stuff wont matter. Its who comes to play, and even more, who makes plays when things break down. It sounds so cliché, but its who makes the hustle plays, who goes out there and wants it more.The thing about Minnesota: They scout the crap out of you. They try to blow up your plays. If they know the ball is supposed to go from X to Y to Z, they try to take out Y, make you do something different. So if youre L.A., they can do something different ... almost like a pickup game. I think you can have success against Minnesota that way.The flip side is Minnesota is extremely deep. They have an amazing starting five, and when they sub, theres no drop-off. Not every team can say that. L.A. hasnt gone as deep in the bench lately as they were early, and that could add up, especially if its a five-game series.Tamika Catchings: For L.A., you know Nneka [Ogwumike] is going to do her thing. KT [Kristi Toliver] needs to hit shots, Candace [Parker] needs to do what she does. Then everybody else needs to follow in behind.And, of course, Minny (laughs) ... they always come at you. Even if one or two players are down, others will rise to the occasion. Like this year, I kind of felt like Natasha Howard has done a great job for them coming off the bench. Its going to be a tough matchup, but a great series.Cynthia Cooper-Dyke: Sometimes the Sparks have had issues with lulls in their offensive game -- like when a team has gone to a zone. Los Angeles is going to have to be consistent, because Minnesota can score. I love the fact that both teams play great defense. I think each game will be very close, and its going to end up being about possessions.Becky Hammon: The thing with Minnesota is just the experience; theyve been there before, they know each other so well. You need to be playing your best basketball at the right time. I know L.A. was a terror at the beginning of the season, and then they kind of hit a wall. And its really hard to beat a team here in Minnesota. I think Minnesota will win, but it would be really great for the league, too, if L.A. wins. The fact that theyre back in the Finals is huge.Lisa Leslie: This is great for the franchise and what L.A. stands for. I think theyve always had the desire, but its about returning to a culture thats about winning. This is where we belong. Now the chips can fall where they may. To get here is also a major milestone.I think for L.A., its important to not just settle for the outside game, but attack inside. L.A. cant afford to be streaky from the outside. And recognize that Rebekkah Brunson is the X factor inside for Minnesota. Shes one of the last old-school players; her box scores will never tell all that she does out there. She is able to defend and keep other players off the boards.The Lynx are going to do what they do; they have so many weapons. Maya [Moore] will do what she does. Seimone [Augustus] could get hot. Its going to be interesting to see if foul trouble is key, because of how tough the inside play will be.Ticha Penicheiro: The Sparks are trying to bring a championship back to L.A., which hasnt happened in a long time, and Minnesota is trying to create a dynasty. You have two well-coached teams and players who are hungry on both sides; Minnesota has managed to stay hungry despite winning three championships. While L.A. feels like they have something to prove. Candace [Parker] -- shes been chasing this championship for a while.I think its going to be great; I hope it goes to five games. This is what we wanted, this is why the league changed the [playoff] format. They were the best teams during the regular season, and I really hope its going to be competitive and well-played.Tina Thompson: I think defensively, the Sparks are going to have to come to play. Minnesota, no matter who theyre facing, theyre very, very hard to stop. Its like a firestorm that gets bigger and bigger.There are some key players for L.A. that everyone knows. But Alana Beard is kind of an X factor in this series, in the sense that shes so great defensively. She has a history of offensive success, too, but because there are so many offensive weapons on the Sparks, her game as a whole has been hidden a little bit. But when shes on a roll and making shots, that could definitely make a difference. Im going to look for Alana to have a really good series. And if she does, they have a good chance. Gabriel Landeskog Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. Jonathan Bernier Jersey . -- Ohio States Urban Meyer has never had any issue acclimating to the biggest stages in college football. http://www.avalancheauthority.com/authen...alanche-jersey/ . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. NEW ORLEANS -- While Mark Ingrams lost fumble practically handed the Seattle Seahawks a touchdown, it also gave Saints running back Tim Hightower an opportunity to lead New Orleans running game.It was a pivotal play, indeed, from which New Orleans arguably benefited most.Ingram was benched, Hightower became the first Saint to rush for more than 100 yards this season, and New Orleans pulled out a 25-20 victory over the favored Seahawks on Sunday.Saints coach Sean Payton labeled Hightowers 26-carry, 102-yard performance tough and gutsy.In New Orleans first six games combined, Hightower carried 19 times for 87 yards. As the game against Seattle wore on, Hightower started to break loose for longer gains, including a 28-yard scamper that set up a go-ahead touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks in the fourth-quarter, and a 12-yard gain that set up a crucial 41-yard field goal by Wil Lutz on New Orleans final possession.I definitely thrive on these kinds of situations. I try to pride myself on being a physical runner, Hightower said. This is the kind of game Im built for. Im kind of old school. I like the physicality of the game and thats what this was.The Seahawks (4-2-1), who have one of the top-ranked defenses in the NFL, have allowed more than 100 yards rushing in just three of their seven games this season and have allowed fewer than 65 yards in the other four games. The Saints (3-4) entered the league ranked 28th in rushing with 82.3 yards per game, but finished with 123 against Seattle.That was one story line in the Seahawks-Saints clash. Here are some others:RUFFLED FEATHERS: Several Seahawks defensive players expressed dissatisfaction over the officiating, with cornerback Richard Sherman using the word egregious, and safety Earl Thomas calling several calls horrible.One gripe concerned a pair of third-down defensive holding calls that extended Saints scoring drives in the second half.They didnt let us play today, Thomas said. On third-and-5 slants, we were locking guys out and they called illegal contact.The Seahawks also protested non-calls on what they viewed as pick plays by Saints receivers running overlapping routes.Seattle defensive backs could be seen arguing that such a pick got Brandin Cooks open for his fourth-quarter TD on a 2-yard slant.Its hard to play defense likee that, Sherman said. Carl Soderberg Jersey. Its tough to play in this league with the way games are being officiated. The rules are already skewed to the offense.PENALTY DIFFERENTIAL: There was a substantial discrepancy in the amount of offensive and defensive penalties called against Seattle compared to New Orleans. The Seahawks were penalized 11 times for 76 yards. The Saints were flagged twice for 10 yards.We made it hard on ourselves, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. My team is getting a lot of penalties the last couple of weeks. It is not any one position, necessarily. I just need to do a better job.ENCOURAGING INGRAM: Payton said he felt compelled to sit Ingram after his fumble because it was his second costly turnover in two games. A week earlier, he fumbled inside the Kanas City 10 in a six-point loss. Against Seattle, Cliff Avrils strip sent the ball into the arms of Thomas, who returned it 34 yards for a score .Brees said the Saints still have great confidence in Ingram. Added Hightower: Ive been in his shoes. ... Were going to need him just like today they needed me.BALANCE: Brees is at his best in the Superdome, where he has twice passed for 400-plus yards this season. Against Seattle, his 265 yards passing represented a season low at home by more than 100 yards. He had only one TD pass, but also scored on a 1-yard keeper. The Saints finished with 35 passes and 35 rushes.That was the formula for today, Brees said with a grin. Thats something everybody had a hand in today and we knew the importance of it.STAYING THE COURSE: Russell Wilson passed for 253 yards without a TD and was intercepted once by linebacker Nathan Stupar. But he still nearly led Seattle on a winning drive -- from the Seattle 32 to the Saints 10 -- in the last 1:50 with no timeouts. The game ended when Wilson lofted a pass to the corner of the end zone, where Jermaine Kearse made a leaping grab but came down with one foot out of bounds.The last drive was a testament to our resilience, Wilson said. We have a lot of clutch players who can make a lot of plays. 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