BROOKLYN — The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are set to tip-off on Thursday night time for Sport 1 of the WNBA Finals, and gamers and coaches alike addressed the media forward of the collection’ starting.
For the Lynx, lower than 48 hours separate a Finals-clinching Sport 5 win over the Lynx, and the tip-off of the WNBA Finals. For the Liberty, discussions centered across the variations between this yr’s crew and final yr’s — and what it is going to take to recover from the hump this yr.
Right here’s what we discovered in each crew’s pre-Sport 1 media availabilities.
1. The Lynx’s fast turnaround from semifinals to Finals has been wild
On Tuesday night time, Minnesota clinched a spot within the Finals with a win over the Solar.
Twelve hours later, they boarded a flight to New York Metropolis, and headed straight to a late afternoon media availability at Barclay’s Middle.
Early Wednesday night, Bridget Carleton stated that the crew hadn’t even had an opportunity to go over movie in preparation of the Liberty sport, although Cheryl Reeve reiterated quite a lot of occasions that the fast turnaround was no excuse.
The Liberty, in the meantime, have been off making ready for the Finals since Sunday, after defeating the Aces in Game 4. Nonetheless, Breanna Stewart needs the the Finals schedule was prolonged previous October twentieth (the present date for Sport 5) to offer groups further time between rounds, and between Finals video games.
“That is the largest second of the season, and it’s going to be condensed into presumably 10 days, you realize?” Stewart stated.
2. The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx are stylistically comparable
The Liberty-Lynx matchup must be enjoyable for quite a lot of causes, and certainly one of them is that each groups are stylistically comparable. That wasn’t the case between the Lynx and the Connecticut Solar — head coach Cheryl Reeve truly described the groups as stylistic opposites — and it wasn’t the case between the Las Vegas Aces and Liberty, both.
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“I feel we each play a very enjoyable model basketball,” stated Lynx guard Bridget Carleton. “We each rely closely on assists, assisted baskets, sharing the ball. I feel that’s what’s entertaining to observe. I feel that’s why followers have favored watching each our groups play this yr… we all know one another so nicely. Every thing’s going to be more durable within the playoffs.”
2. The Lynx won’t be as battle-tested as New York, however they’re not any much less hungry
The narrative all yr has been that the Liberty are looking for redemption after falling to the Aces in final yr’s Finals. Defeating Las Vegas in the semifinals was step one towards that redemption.
The Lynx, in the meantime, are a newly-assembled crew. Solely 5 gamers return from final yr, and the group doesn’t share a trauma the best way New York does. Nonetheless, the shortage of playoff expertise collectively doesn’t make Minnesota any much less
“All of us, individually, are hungry,” stated Carleton. “It’s form of cool. Clearly, we don’t have, the ‘shedding a championship final yr’ like they do. We form of all simply got here collectively this yr.
“We’ve had some ups and downs all through our season. Clearly, profitable the Fee’s Cup [was a high], after which we went to Dallas and misplaced to Dallas. So, it was some highs and lows. We’ve discovered quite a bit and we wish to be a constant crew.”
Cheryl Reeve stated the the common season was a possibility for the crew to develop.
“I don’t know that we’ve got any scars. We now have been battle-tested in video games, and have gone by way of adversity within the season.”
Reeve stated she observed that when opposing groups went on huge runs, Lynx gamers have been ready to determine the best way to reply.
“I feel we’re terrific at downside fixing… that’s what I get pleasure from probably the most about this crew,” Reeve stated. “Their emotional maturity, their means to sit down on the bench collectively earlier than the coaches are available in and rip them for what simply occurred. They already know what must occur, and you may see it on their faces.”
3. Lynx gamers knew it was a particular crew from the start
The Lynx added Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams within the offseason, and from the soar, the Cheryl Reeve and gamers have attested the sensation across the crew was very totally different.
“There’s all the time a superb vibe in coaching camp,” Carleton stated. “I feel that’s been nicely documented that from day one — all of us acquired alongside rather well within the locker room, and it translated vitality on the court docket.”
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“And I feel after we gained the commissioner cup, it was like, ‘okay, we are able to actually do some injury. We are able to make a run within the playoffs, we are able to compete for a championship.’ That’s after we knew we might be actually, actually good. However once more, it clicked early — our chemistry off the court docket has translated on the court docket from day one, and it hasn’t wavered, even by way of the highs and the lows.”
Reeve has stated a few occasions now that her confidence on this group was instilled on the second day of coaching camp.
“I had these moments the place I seemed round — and I do know final yr wasn’t nice when it comes to among the stuff that we have been making an attempt to get achieved —however this group, they simply, they simply had a pure instinctive approach straight away,” Reeve stated. “Actually good folks, actually get pleasure from one another — all issues which have been stated.”
5. It is a totally different Liberty crew than final yr’s
All yr, Liberty gamers have mirrored on simply how far more skilled and related this years’ crew was from earlier variations.
“I feel this second feels totally different simply primarily based on the expertise — that a part of it, having this group collectively, and realizing the expansion that we’ve made,” Stewart stated.
They’ve additionally added Leonie Fiebich, who supplies them further capturing, size, and flexibility.
“After which on the identical time, it’s like, this can be a new yr, you realize? We now have that scar and that harm and that reminiscence of what occurred final yr, however [it’s an] fully totally different state of affairs, totally different crew, and [we’re] gonna be prepared for it,” Stewart stated.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello echoed that sentiment.
“That’s a part of the journey, isn’t it? [We have a] scar from final yr, but it surely motivated us to be higher,” Brondello stated. “That was only a reminder. It wasn’t who we have been. It was about constructing the chemistry, and having the connections, and persevering with to belief one another and develop, and that’s what we did.”
