Grab Your Popcorn, the WNBA Finals Are Here and Ready to Entertain

The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx square off in the finals with an abundance of storylines to get invested in.

The WNBA finals matchup is set as Breanna Stewart and the top-seeded New York Liberty take on Napheesa Collier and the #2 Minnesota Lynx, making UConn head coach Geno Auriemma proud no matter what. 

The two franchises square off with completely opposite legacies, roster constructions, cultures etc. and it’s time to dive into all of it so when the ball goes up this Thursday at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN, you’ll know exactly what’s at stake. 

NEW YORK LIBERTY 

As I’ve said before and will say until it’s untrue, the New York Liberty are the only remaining founding franchise without a title. That’s 28 years without a championship. Not only that, but they’re also 0-5 all time in the finals. That means the Lynx have almost as many titles as the Liberty do finals losses. But this isn’t about their shortcomings, it’s about overcoming and it’s now or never for the Liberty. 

This team has a healthy blend of youth and experience. You have Stewie and Jonquel Jones, former MVPs trying to add to their respective legacies by bringing the franchise they both signed with during free agency two years ago, its first title. For Stewart, this would be her third and one short of her college championship count and for Jones it would be her first ever in three straight trips to the finals. Conversely, Sabrina Ionescu is in the process of building her legacy. The former #1 pick has had her struggles but hit her stride this season becoming a true three-level scorer while starting to live up to some of the hype she received coming into the league. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton could also add to her hustler’s tale. She is a former second-round pick that has gone from Most Improved Player to All-Star all while carving a niche in the league as a hard-nosed defender. The former Rutgers standout would be the first C. Vivian Stringer player to win a title since Kahleah Copper in 2021. 

Coming off New York’s bench is Nyara Sabally, a young forward who’s finally healthy and could exploit Minnesota’s lack of size in the middle. She was Ionescu’s teammate at Oregon and a championship could fill the void left after COVID-19 stole their opportunity to win one during Ionescu’s final year.  

MINNESOTA LYNX 

The Lynx exist at the opposite end of the spectrum. They’re trying to return to their glory days and add to their four championships.Unlike the Liberty, they have zero MVPs on their roster. Napheesa Collier has been anointed the next superstar to lead them back to the promise land, receiving the torch from Sylvia Fowles. Collier came into the season healthy and put together an MVP caliber season averaging 20-9-3 for the year while anchoring one of the best defenses in the league. As a result, she was named Defensive Player of the Year. 

After Collier, you have a team full of journeywomen, many of whom came from the Connecticut Sun, in search of their first ring. 

Courtney Williams has established herself as a midrange assassin, while Natisha Hiedeman is a steady and true point guard. Both players gave it their all as members of the Connecticut Sun, both are in search of their first ring. Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton have emerged as unlikely forces on the defensive end. Neither player is particularly threatening in stature, but both use their length to create problems for the opposing teams and helped make the Lynx one of the best defensive teams in the league. 

The late acquisition of former Washington Mystic Miyisha Hines-Allen has paid dividends for the Lynx as she’s fit in seamlessly.  Hines-Allen brings championship experience as a member of Washington’s 2019 title team as well as a physical presence in the paint defensively. Offensively, she’s learned how to flow with the Lynx’s fluid offense, diving and cutting to just the right spots, Kayla McBride has become a consistent threat from deep for the Lynx and helps make them a dangerous team from all over the floor. 

CULTURE 

Barclays Center has become the Staples Center of the W and the big names regularly attend. Last year in the finals, we saw Lil Kim, Fat Joe and a host of other cultural icons in attendance. This year Spike Lee has found a spot and decided to do what he does best; heckle opposing guards. Jason Sudekis has also become somewhat of a mainstay at Liberty games. 

What the Lynx lack in celebrities, they make up for in legends. Maya Moore could literally walk through that door and all of the aforementioned names are cool, but they are not Maya Moore. You also have Fowles, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Lindsey Whalen and Katie Smith supporting the team either as a paid staff member, or just an OG with close seats. That’s a wealth of knowledge as that group of players all boast at least two titles. 

The mascot matchup will be one-sided as Ellie the Elephant has reached national super-stardom while sadly Prowl has not. 

COACHING 

On the sidelines it will be yet another chess match between New York’s Sandy Brondello and Minnesota’s Cheryl Reeve. Brondello has been a top coach in the league for years, but with just one title to her name and a host of talented teams, it could be argued that she’s left a few rings on the table, specifically in 2021 with the Phoenix Mercury and last year with the Liberty against a short-handed Aces. Still, she outdueled Las Vegas’ Becky Hammon and her golden clipboard in the semifinals and has a chance to stamp her resume with a second title. 

Reeve on the other hand, has had ample time to write her Hall of Fame speech. So all the legends mentioned in the culture segment? With the exception of Katie Smith, she coached all of them en route to four championships. The brash and outspoken coach is having an incredible year that could end with her fifth title to go with her Olympic gold medal won back in August. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Lynx have had the Liberty’s number all season finishing 3-1 against them this year including the Commissioner’s Cup championship. Beating a team six times in one year is a tall order, but the Lynx have all of the tools to make it happen. 

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