A look at the two semifinal series in the WNBA playoffs. The series are best-of-five format.---No. 8 Phoenix vs. No. 1 MinnesotaSeason Series: Lynx won 3-0.Playoff History: 2011 Western Conference Finals (Minnesota won series, 2-0); 2013 Western Conference Semifinals (Minnesota won series, 2-0); 2014 Western Conference Finals (Phoenix won series, 2-1); 2015 Western Conference Finals (Minnesota won series 2-0).Phoenix: The Mercury went on the road to beat Indiana and New York in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Now theyll face a familiar foe in the semifinals. Diana Taurasi improved her mark to 13-3 in elimination games, including an astounding 6-0 record on the road. While the Lynx swept the three meetings, the two teams havent played since June 7. Brittney Griner has really picked up her play in the postseason, averaging 20 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. The Mercury tightened up their rotation in the first two rounds, they probably wont be able to have their starters log as many minutes in an extended series.Minnesota: The Lynx are well rested after playing their last regular season game on Sept. 17. The team won a franchise record 28 games led by their four U.S. Olympians Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Lindsay Whalen and Seimone Augustus. The Lynx are trying for their fourth title in six seasons and looking to become the first repeat champion since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks.Prediction: Minnesota in four games.---No. 4 Chicago vs. No. 2 Los AngelesSeason Series: Sparks won 3-0.Chicago: The Sky put up a franchise record number of points in their second round victory over Atlanta. More impressively they did it without star Elena Delle Donne, who is sidelined after having surgery on her right thumb. It was a total team effort led by point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who had 21 points and 13 assists in the victory. Chicago is 4-2 without Delle Donne and hasnt played Los Angeles since July 13. The Sky have been getting a big contribution from rookie Imani Boyette on both ends of the court. She had eight points, 11 rebounds and six blocks in the win over the Dream.Los Angeles: The Sparks are refreshed and relaxed after earning the second-seed. They havent had a game since Sept. 16. Los Angeles is led by newly crowned league MVP Nneka Ogwumike . Shell receive her trophy before the teams first game Wednesday which will be played at Long Beach because of a preseason hockey game at Staples Center. Los Angeles was 21-3 before the Olympic break and 5-5 afterward. Three more wins will get the Sparks to the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2003.Prediction: Los Angeles in four games. Fake Blues Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. 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RIO DE JANEIRO -- There is no doubt about it: Mo Farah is among the best long-distance runners of all time.The British great produced one of his trademark controlled runs, topped with a blistering finish, to win the 5,000-meter gold medal on Saturday and cap his second straight Olympic long-distance double.Its every athletes dream but I cant believe it, the 33-year-old Farah said. I just want to go home now and see my beautiful kids and hang my medals around their necks.On Saturday, there was no crash to worry about -- even though a fall in last weeks 10,000 failed to stop him from claiming gold. His unstoppable kick over the last two laps did it this time, and as hard as his two Ethiopian rivals tried to shake him off early, there was no way to deny Farah at the Rio de Janeiro Games.Youre a target, youre a target. The guys watch you race and they know what you are good at, Farah said.Farah came into the final stretch in the lead, and that means its over. His arms open wide, his eyes closed in ecstasy, Farah crossed the line as the first runner in 40 years to win back-to-back long-distance doubles at the Olympics.Farah already won the 10,000-meter race in Rio to go along with his two gold medals from the same events in London four years ago. The last man to win both distance races in consecutive Olympics was Finnish great Lasse Viren at the 1972 Munich and 1976 Montreal Games.Farah won in 13 minutes, 3.30 seconds. Paul Chelimo of the United States took silver and Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia got bronze.On the medal stand, Farah put his fingers on top of his head for the heart-shaped Mobot move, as well-known to long-distance running fans as Usain Bolts To the World pose is to everyone else.This medal is for my son, said Farah, who has four children and four gold medals. When Im gone, all my kids will have something of me.ddddddddddddAfter another standout Olympics, Farah is ranking ever higher among the best runners in history. Kenenisa Bekele, with three Olympic and five world titles? Swept by him. Farah now has four Olympic gold medals and five world championship titles.In the shrouds of history, there is still Emil Zatopek of the Czech Republic and Paavo Nurmi of Finland, but the changes in competition make an accurate comparison impossible. Nurmi has nine Olympic gold medals from the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, while Zatopek won the 5,000, 10,000 and marathon at the 1952 Helsinki Games.Its easier to call him long distance runnings answer to Bolt, the man who came over to embrace Farah in the warmup zone ahead of the race.Its not as if he needed the help, but he still won while several of the runners behind him caused a bit of confusion.Three competitors, including second-place finisher Chelimo, were initially disqualified. That meant American teammate Bernard Lagat would get bronze. But the decision was rescinded a short time later and Chelimo was reinstated to silver, while Lagat was pushed back to fifth.None of that affected Farah.Starting at the back, the experienced runner slowly made his way up and found himself in an ideal position with two laps to go, hugging the inside of the track and with only open space ahead of him.When Gebrhiwet tried to cut him off, he smartly used his wiry frame to deny him and cement his position among the all-time greats.I controlled it and I wasnt going to let anyone pass me, Farah said, and then in the end I just used my speed.---Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rcasert ' ' '