Liberty, Lynx face off with championship on the line in WNBA Finals
Published
The two best teams in the regular season, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx, will meet in the WNBA Finals for ultimate bragging rights.
The Liberty eliminated the two-time reigning champion Las Vegas Aces in four games in the semifinals, getting revenge on their Finals loss to the Aces a year ago.
Watch Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty LIVE on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on TSN3 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
Through six postseason games this season, Breanna Stewart is averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists. She is chasing a third WNBA championship after winning two with the Seattle Storm. Stewart also has an opportunity to claim a third Finals MVP trophy, which would move her into sole possession of second place all time behind Cynthia Cooper, who won four.
But as good as Stewart is, the biggest difference for the Liberty this season has been the play of Sabrina Ionescu. The 26-year-old took a step forward in the regular season, but she has taken a big jump in the playoffs. She is averaging seven more points this year (20.7 PPG, up from 13.7 in 2023) to lead the team while averaging 5.2 points and 5.2 assists.
Rookie Leonie Fiebich has also proven to be New York’s secret weapon. She has started all six of the team’s playoff games, averaging 10.5 points and shooting 59.1 per cent from three.
Meanwhile, the Lynx needed the full five games to eliminate a strong Connecticut Sun team.
Napheesa Collier has fully arrived as a superstar in Minnesota. Through seven postseason games, she is averaging 27.1 points to go along with 9.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists while averaging 37.4 minutes on the court.
Point guard Courtney Williams, who signed as a free agent in the off-season, is averaging a team-high 5.7 assists and is second in team scoring with 13.7 points a game.
Canadian Bridget Carleton took a big step forward this season, averaging career highs in points (9.6) and rebounds (3.8) as she became a fixture in the starting lineup after years as a reliable bench option. That momentum has carried over to the playoffs as well, where Carleton is averaging 10 points and 3.4 assists.
The Liberty and Lynx faced off three times in the regular season, with Minnesota getting the edge 2-1.
For the Liberty, they continue to chase their first WNBA championship in franchise history. Despite being one of the original eight franchises when the WNBA was founded in 1997, the Liberty have been to the title game five times prior to this season but have not won.
The Lynx are chasing a different feat. Back in the Finals for the first time since 2017, Minnesota is looking to win a fifth championship, which would set a new WNBA record for titles by a franchise. They are currently tied at four with the Storm and the defunct Houston Comets.