WNBA Finals 2024: 3 On the spot Reactions to Lynx vs. Liberty on the Bracket
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Bleacher Report
It is going to be all chalk on this 12 months’s WNBA Finals.
The No. 2 seeded Minnesota Lynx crushed the Connecticut Solar 88-77 on Tuesday to seal a visit to the Finals, the place they’ll face the top-seeded New York Liberty, who downed the Las Vegas Aces within the semifinals.
Forward of what needs to be an thrilling sequence, listed here are three prompt reactions to this 12 months’s WNBA Finals matchup.
Liberty Have Extra at Stake in Finals
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The Liberty shaped one of many WNBA’s first true tremendous groups after they introduced in former WNBA MVPs Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones together with Courtney Vandersloot forward of the 2023 season.
Thus far, they’ve one WNBA Finals look however not a lot else to point out for.
New York acquired previous one in all its greatest obstacles, the Las Vegas Aces, within the semifinals, now it is time to convey dwelling the franchise’s first championship.
The Liberty have regarded like the most effective group within the league all 12 months, coasting to a 32-8 file and shedding only one recreation en path to the Finals. Led by star guard Sabrina Ionescu and Stewart, New York has hit its stride within the postseason, and something apart from a championship will probably be seen as a disappointment.
That is to not discredit the Lynx, who’ve additionally had an amazing 12 months, however the backside line is New York has a roster composed of stars who’ve but to ship a long-awaited championship to the town.
Minnesota Has Been New York’s Most Worthy Opponent All Yr
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Pretty much as good as New York has been this 12 months, Minnesota has been the one group to offer it actual bother.
The Lynx beat the Liberty 3 times this 12 months, together with a win within the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. They’re the one group to have beat New York a couple of time this season and for a group that has simply eight losses, Minnesota accounts for greater than a 3rd of them.
Of their most up-to-date matchup in September, Stewart dropped 38 factors, nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to get previous the scrappy Lynx squad.
Minnesota had the second-best defensive scores within the league this 12 months at 94.8. When the Liberty face a protection that robust, they’re sure to slide up. In a five-game sequence, the Lynx simply must overpower them on protection in three video games to take dwelling a championship.
Stewart vs. Collier Matchup Might Decide Finals MVP
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Simply two months in the past, Collier and Stewart performed alongside each other as they received a gold medal in Paris with Crew USA.
Now, they’ll go up towards one another within the WNBA Finals in what needs to be a generational matchup.
Collier is taking part in a few of the finest basketball of her profession this postseason, averaging 27.2 factors and 9.3 rebounds per recreation. Stewart has additionally been nice, placing up 20 factors and eight.2 rebounds per recreation, nevertheless it has been removed from her finest postseason.
Collier and Stewart, each of whom performed for the good Geno Auriemma at UConn, are in several phases of their profession. Stewart is a confirmed vet with two championships and as many Finals MVPs. Collier, although nicely completed, remains to be lacking a pair of trophies from her resume.
It is going to be a battle between an already established nice versus one trying to submit her standing as one. What extra might you ask for?
