Minnesota Lynx will face Liberty in WNBA Finals

The New York Liberty are back in the Finals, aiming for their first championship in franchise history as they face the Minnesota Lynx.

The Liberty secured their spot in the WNBA Finals for the second consecutive year by defeating the two-time defending Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.

Despite reaching the championship round five times previously, the Liberty have yet to secure a title.

For the first time since 2017, the Lynx have made it to the Finals, where they previously won four championships in a seven-year span.

Minnesota secured their Finals spot after a five-game series victory over Connecticut, winning the decisive game at home on Tuesday night.

Game 1 of the best-of-5 Finals is set for Thursday night, with the Lynx having limited time to recover and prepare to face the Liberty.

“Talk about the schedule, who cares. Nobody’s going to feel bad for us,” stated Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve. “Got to go hooping right away and we’ll do that.”

These two teams previously competed for a title this year, with Minnesota emerging victorious in the Commissioner’s Cup championship back in June.

New York is determined to secure a championship after narrowly missing out against Las Vegas last season.

The Liberty reached the finals three times in the league’s early years, only to lose each time to the Houston Comets. Additionally, they suffered a defeat to the Los Angeles Sparks two years later.

“We haven’t done anything yet,” emphasized Breanna Stewart, who played a pivotal role in the clinching win over Las Vegas. “This was a tough series, an emotional series, for a number of different reasons, just the feeling of not being satisfied.”

The Liberty have carried a motivational scar throughout the season, propelling them to the best record in the league and securing home-court advantage for the playoffs.

“We went to the Finals last year,” Stewart added, “and we didn’t accomplish anything.”

The Lynx are unfazed by New York, having won two of the three regular-season meetings and the Commissioner’s Cup championship.

“I think the regular season doesn’t mean anything; they are an amazing team,” stated Minnesota star Napheesa Collier. “It’s going to be a great series, great basketball. Two teams with great players competing.”

Collier, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and WNBA MVP runner-up, is a key player for the Lynx.

If Minnesota secures three more victories, they will become the first WNBA team to win five championships, surpassing the Houston Comets and the Seattle Storm.

The first two Finals games will be held in New York, with Minnesota hosting the subsequent two.

There is a potential scheduling conflict for Game 4 on Friday, Oct. 18, as the Minnesota Timberwolves have an exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets on the same evening, sharing the same home court with the Lynx.