WNBA Finals 2024: 3 Instant Reactions to Lynx vs. Liberty on the Bracket
It will be all chalk in this year's WNBA Finals.
The No. 2 seeded Minnesota Lynx crushed the Connecticut Sun 88-77 on Tuesday to seal a trip to the Finals, where they will face the top-seeded New York Liberty, who downed the Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals.
Ahead of what should be an exciting series, here are three instant reactions to this year's WNBA Finals matchup.
Liberty Have More at Stake in Finals
The Liberty formed one of the WNBA's first true super teams when they brought in former WNBA MVPs Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones along with Courtney Vandersloot ahead of the 2023 season.
So far, they have one WNBA Finals appearance but not much else to show for.
New York got past one of its biggest obstacles, the Las Vegas Aces, in the semifinals, now it's time to bring home the franchise's first championship.
The Liberty have looked like the best team in the league all year, coasting to a 32-8 record and losing just one game en route to the Finals. Led by star guard Sabrina Ionescu and Stewart, New York has hit its stride in the postseason, and anything other than a championship will be viewed as a disappointment.
That's not to discredit the Lynx, who have also had a tremendous year, but the bottom line is New York has a roster composed of stars who have yet to deliver a long-awaited championship to the city.
Minnesota Has Been New York's Most Worthy Opponent All Year
As good as New York has been this year, Minnesota has been the only team to give it real trouble.
The Lynx beat the Liberty three times this year, including a win in the Commissioner's Cup Championship. They are the only team to have beat New York more than one time this season and for a team that has just eight losses, Minnesota accounts for more than a third of them.
In their most recent matchup in September, Stewart dropped 38 points, but it wasn't enough to get past the scrappy Lynx squad.
Minnesota had the second-best defensive ratings in the league this year at 94.8. When the Liberty face a defense that strong, they're bound to slip up. In a five-game series, the Lynx just need to overpower them on defense in three games to take home a championship.
Stewart vs. Collier Matchup Could Determine Finals MVP
Just two months ago, Collier and Stewart played alongside one another as they won a gold medal in Paris with Team USA.
Now, they will go up against each other in the WNBA Finals in what should be a generational matchup.
Collier is playing some of the best basketball of her career this postseason, averaging 27.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Stewart has also been great, putting up 20 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, but it has been far from her best postseason.
Collier and Stewart, both of whom played for the great Geno Auriemma at UConn, are in different stages of their career. Stewart is a proven vet with two championships and as many Finals MVPs. Collier, though well accomplished, is still missing a pair of trophies from her resume.
It will be a battle between an already established great versus one looking to submit her status as one. What more could you ask for?