By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK — The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx both have a shot to make history when the teams meet in the WNBA Finals.
The Liberty are looking for the franchise’s first championship while the Lynx are vying for a record fifth. They were the best two teams during the regular season, finishing in the top spots in the standings.
New York is back in the Finals for the second consecutive season and is hoping to erase the scar of losing to the Las Vegas Aces in 2023. Minnesota is making its first appearance in the championship round since 2017, when the team won its fourth title in a seven-year span.
“We learned from our experience I think that’s a part of the journey,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said. “It motivated us to be better.”
Game 1 is Thursday at 5 p.m. PT in New York.
The Liberty built a super team last year by adding Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot to Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. The team fell short in the Finals, losing to Las Vegas in four games. Now in the second year of this group, the squad is more cohesive on and off the court.
Stewart and Vandersloot have already won titles in Seattle and Chicago and would love to bring New York its first.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” said Stewart, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots in the clinching semifinal victory over Las Vegas. “This was a tough series, an emotional series, for a number of different reasons (there’s) just the feeling of not satisfied.”
While the Liberty were expected back in the championship round, Minnesota made the biggest strides in the offseason, going from 19-21 last season to 30-10 this year. The Lynx are led by WNBA MVP runner-up and Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier. She raised her level of play this season and had help on the offensive end with the addition of guard Courtney Williams.
Williams has been to the Finals before, doing so with Connecticut in 2019 and 2022. The Sun lost both times.
“It’s exciting, this is what you play for, to be on that stage,” she said. “Ready for the moment and excited to get it done.”
Besides Williams and guard Natisha Hiedeman, the Lynx don’t have much playoff experience. Hiedeman was also with Connecticut during the Finals runs in 2019 and 2022.
Collier became the first player in WNBA history to have at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in three straight postseason games when she had 27 and 11 inthe decisive Game 5win over Connecticut on Tuesday night.
“What makes Phee special is the consistency and the way she shows up every single day,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Her work ethic, demeanor. She’s improved every season. Every game it’s more than scoring how she helps our team. … When Phee plays like the MVP we’re a hard team to beat.”
New York struggled against Minnesota this year, losing two of the three regular-season meetings and the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.
“I think the regular season doesn’t mean anything, they are an amazing team,” Collier said. “It’s going to be a great series, great basketball. Two teams with great players competing.”
The Liberty had to go on the road for the first two games last year in the Finals and having home-court advantage this time around is huge.
“Being on the other side of it last year knowing how hard it was to go on the road for the first two of the Finals with an opposing crowd and try to steal a win and not be able to,” Ionescu said. “I think we all understand that we’ll have the whole city behind us, cheering us on.”
SCHEDULE
The first two games will be in New York (Game 2 is Sunday at noon PT) with Minnesota hosting the next two (Oct. 16 and 18, both at 5 p.m. PT). Game 5 would be Sunday, Oct. 20, in New York. The series schedule originally caused a conflict at Target Center for Game 4 on Oct. 18, when the Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Denver Nuggets in an NBA exhibition game. The Timberwolves, who share the arena and the practice facility across the street with the Lynx, announced Wednesday they moved their game against the Nuggets up one day to Oct. 17.
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