The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx meet for a second cup this year. The two teams previously played each other on June 25, 2024 in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, with the Lynx winning 94-89.
Game one was nothing short of hair-raising. With only seven minutes of regulation left, the Lynx closed a twelve point deficit, tying things up just in time. The final minutes of regulation were absolute chaos: Fouls, free throws, three-point plays, and lots of physicality. It looked like a sealed win for the Liberty, but with only five seconds remaining, Courtney Williams (Lynx) made a three-pointer, tying up the game.Â
With a missed free throw from Stewart (Liberty) in the final second of regulation, the Lynx secured overtime (84-84). With the help of Collier’s fadeaway jump-shot and an unfortunate missed layup from Stewart (Liberty) in the last second, the Lynx won 95-93 in overtime.
On Sunday Oct. 13, 2024, the Liberty tied up the series with a dynamic game two win (80-66).Â
Both game two (18,064 fans at Barclays Center, NY) and game three (19,521 fans at Target Center, MN) broke attendance records. Game two also saw Napheesa Collier (Lynx) beat the record for most points scored in a single postseason. As of Oct. 16, 2024, Collier has put up 249 points since the Lynx’s first playoff game on Sept. 22, 2024.
Game three was strikingly similar to game one, except it was the Liberty who closed a fifteen point deficit. Breanna Stewart (Liberty) recorded a phenomenal double-double, scoring thirty points and eleven rebounds. She shot 45% in field goals, and 100% in free throws—a drastic comeback from her game-losing miss on Oct. 10.Â
Alanna Smith (Lynx) has experienced the series’ physicality first-hand. In game one, Smith rolled her ankle after colliding with Jonquel Jones (Liberty) on a screen, sending her to the locker room for medical care in the fourth quarter. In game three, another tussle with Jones caused her to fall on her back. She was visibly in pain and immediately taken to the locker room. Despite coming back and playing, she returned to the locker room a second time over concerns about a lower back injury.Â
Even with Stewart’s performance, it is Sabrina Ionescu (Liberty) who remains the game three hero as Ionescu scored all six of the Liberty’s game-winning points in the final 55 seconds. She sealed the Liberty’s win with a three-point buzzer-beater from the logo line. The WNBA called it “ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHOTS IN LIBERTY FINALS HISTORY.” The Liberty took game three with a final score of 80-77.Â
The 2024 WNBA playoff finals bring an unprecedented story. Earlier this year, Breanna Stewart (Liberty) and Napheesa Collier (Lynx) announced their partnership as co-founders of a new three-on-three women’s basketball league called Unrivaled. Unrivaled games begin in January 2025, with the purpose of ensuring WNBA players don’t have to play overseas in the off-season to supplement their income. Stewart and Collier are temporary rivals as they guard each other throughout the 2024 WNBA Championship finals. In game two, Stewart even joked with the referees, holding up a “T” with her fingers to signal a technical foul call on her pal, Collier.Â
Game four, possibly the championship winning game in this best-of-five series, airs on Friday Oct. 18, at 5 PM PDT on ESPN or TSN (region dependent).