WNBA Finals Pocket book: Scheduling points, when the Lynx realized they had been particular, Liberty redemption tour

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 workforce and final yr’s — and what it should take to recover from the hump this yr.

Right here’s what we discovered in each workforce’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 workforce hadn’t even had an opportunity to go over movie in preparation of the Liberty recreation, although Cheryl Reeve reiterated quite a few instances that the short 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 present groups extra time between rounds, and between Finals video games.

“That is the most important second of the season, and it’s going to be condensed into probably 10 days, you recognize?” Stewart stated.

2. The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx are stylistically related

The Liberty-Lynx matchup needs to be enjoyable for quite a few causes, and one in all them is that each groups are stylistically related. That wasn’t the case between the Lynx and the Connecticut Solar — head coach Cheryl Reeve really described the groups as stylistic opposites — and it wasn’t the case between the Las Vegas Aces and Liberty, both.

“I believe we each play a extremely enjoyable type basketball,” stated Lynx guard Bridget Carleton. “We each rely closely on assists, assisted baskets, sharing the ball. I believe that’s what’s entertaining to observe. I believe that’s why followers have favored watching each our groups play this yr… we all know one another so nicely. All the pieces’s going to be tougher 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 searching 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 workforce. Solely 5 gamers return from final yr, and the group doesn’t share a trauma the best way New York does. Nonetheless, the dearth 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, successful 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 rather a lot and we need to be a constant workforce.”

Cheryl Reeve stated the the common season was a possibility for the workforce to develop.

“I don’t know that now we have any scars. We now have been battle-tested in video games, and have gone by means of adversity within the season.”

Reeve stated she observed that when opposing groups went on large runs, Lynx gamers had been ready to determine the best way to reply.

“I believe we’re terrific at downside fixing… that’s what I take pleasure in essentially the most about this workforce,” Reeve stated. “Their emotional maturity, their capability to sit down on the bench collectively earlier than the coaches are available and rip them for what simply occurred. They already know what must occur, and you’ll see it on their faces.”

3. Lynx gamers knew it was a particular workforce 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 workforce was very totally different.

“There’s at all times a great vibe in coaching camp,” Carleton stated. “I believe that’s been nicely documented that from day one — all of us bought alongside very well within the locker room, and it translated power on the court docket.”

“And I believe once we gained the commissioner cup, it was like, ‘okay, we are able to actually do some harm. We will make a run within the playoffs, we are able to compete for a championship.’ That’s once we knew we may very well 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 means of the highs and the lows.”

Reeve has stated a few instances 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 by way of a few of the stuff that we had been making an attempt to get performed —however this group, they simply, they simply had a pure instinctive manner straight away,” Reeve stated. “Actually good individuals, actually take pleasure in one another — all issues which have been stated.”

5. This can be a totally different Liberty workforce than final yr’s

All yr, Liberty gamers have mirrored on simply how rather more skilled and linked this years’ workforce was from earlier variations.

“I believe this second feels totally different simply primarily based on the expertise — that a part of it, having this group collectively, and understanding the expansion that we’ve made,” Stewart stated.

They’ve additionally added Leonie Fiebich, who gives them extra taking pictures, size, and flexibility.

“After which on the similar time, it’s like, it is a new yr, you recognize? We now have that scar and that damage and that reminiscence of what occurred final yr, however [it’s an] fully totally different scenario, totally different workforce, 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 had 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.”