For the third time in five years, 2015 was the Year of the Lynx.

But while the faces were familiar during Minnesota’s run to the WNBA title, the Lynx worked harder than ever for a third ring on their fingers.

Maya Moore was in MVP form, but the rest of the Big Three — Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen — was hobbled by injury. They vanquished the rival Phoenix Mercury in the Western Conference Finals, but awaiting them from the East was the team that took them down in 2012, the Indiana Fever.

In an epic series that came down to a winner-take-all Game 5 — instantly among the best in league history — Minnesota outlasted Tamika Catchings and tough-as-nails Indiana. Center Sylvia Fowles, acquired in a midseason trade, proved to be the missing piece and the eventual Finals MVP.

By the time the trophy was being handed out, the Lynx were being called something else: a dynasty.

WNBA Finals Hub | Lynx Celebrate Title | The Season: WNBA Finals

https://instagram.com/p/_496xci3fb/?taken-by=wnba

Countdown to 2016:
10: First-Time All-Stars
9: Delle Donne’s 90-Plus Percent Free Throw Shooting
8: No. 8 Delisha Milton-Jones, Record Breaker
7: Sun’s Franchise-Best Seven-Game Winning Streak
6: Shock Earn First Playoff Berth in Six Years
5: Sue Bird’s 5,000th Career Point
4: Brittney Griner’s Record Blocks Per Game
3: Lynx Titles in the Last Five Years
2: Tamika Catchings, No. 2 All-Time
1: Liberty’s League-Best, Franchise-Best Record