Questions Raised, Questions Answered - Game 5 of the WNBA Finals
Will the Liberty bring home that coveted first title or will the Lynx add to the trophy case with title number 5?
Ladies and gentlemen this is the moment we've all been waiting for. The moment that true hoops fans salivate over. A crucial, winner takes all game five of the WNBA Finals. The series between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx is tied up at 2-2 with both teams winning at home and on the road so we enter this tiebreaker as close to uncertain as one came come. But let's break down what games three and four taught us.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED - NEW YORK LIBERTY
Can the Liberty close a game? - Yes but also no. The Liberty made key plays in game three to seal the deal but fell apart in game four as Sabrina Ionescu found herself on the wrong side of yet another end of game foul that ultimately gave Minnesota the win.
Can Sandy Brondello get the lineups right? - Yes. In game four we saw her trust Leonie Fiebich as she dropped 19 points and Nyara Sabally as she logged four points and five rebounds in just 11 minutes of action. Brondello is showing trust in her personnel and getting some rest for her starters.
QUESTIONS ANSWERED - MINNESOTA LYNX
Can Minnesota build a lead? - Yes. Minnesota showed they could establish themselves from the opening tip and not have to play from behind and it proved valuable as the Liberty faltered under pressure in game four.
Can the Lynx keep Jonquel Jones contained? - Yes. The Lynx have done everything they can to slow JJ down, throwing multiple looks at the former MVP. The key tonight is to attack her more on offense and force her to exert energy and hopefully foul on the defensive end.
Can the Lynx keep up the defensive intensity? - YES! Napheesa Collier has forced somewhere near 30 jumpballs this series and continues to rise to the occasion vacillating on the defensive end between Jones and Breanna Stewart. Her energy has proved infectious as the rest of the team has kept up and gotten a number of stops at crucial moments.
QUESTIONS RAISED - NEW YORK LIBERTY
Can the Liberty get it done? - New York comes into this series 0-5 in the finals. Stewie and Sabrina just had underwhelming performances in a closeout game. The Liberty typically play well following losses, but will they be able to shake their old habits of faltering down the stretch and FINALLY bring that first championship to the city?
Which Sabrina will show up? - If you take away the shot heard round the world in game three, Sabrina's had a pretty forgettable finals, shooting 39 percent from the field and 37 from three. She's had the confidence to take big shots even when she's not playing well and that's a huge plus for the Liberty. But she's also been a defensive liability and cost them two games already because of untimely fouls. Can she lock in and stay out the way?
Will Sandy Brondello remember Jonquel Jones is an unstoppable 6’6 force? - JJ was red hot in game four and the Liberty inexplicably stopped going to her. And truthfully, they've been doing this all season where she gets put on the back burner to allow Stewie and maybe Sabrina to bring the team home and honestly it feels like Sandy is just making things unnecessarily difficult. Minnesota has played great team defense on JJ, but it's still JJ. Force the issue.
QUESTIONS RAISED - MINNESOTA LYNX
What tricks will Cheryl Reeve have up her sleeve? Right now we're witnessing a chess match as Reeve has played to the strengths of her team and found a way to cover their very few weaknesses. At this point, these two teams have seen each other about 10 times this season so what will Reeve do for her final act to help her team land the knockout blow?
Can Phee dominate offensively? - Napheesa Collier has shown why that DPOY award is hers with some incredible individual defense this series and all postseason. She's also had an impact in just about every other area of the game both offensively and defensively. But can she drop 30 when the Lynx need it most?
Will Maya Moore check in tonight? - I know the answer is no but please, just let me dream!
Join us for the No Cap Space Postgame Show immediately following the celebrations live on YouTube to see how many of these questions were answered and a breakdown of the entire game!