Oh, boy.
If you haven’t heard by now, there is a history between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. That history includes the stolen 2024 WNBA title. Two years later, the Lynx and their fans haven’t forgotten.
It’s time to serve some revenge.
Game Info
- Who: #1 Minnesota Lynx (0-0) vs. #8 New York Liberty (0-0)
- When: Sunday, September 27 at 1:00 PM CT
- Where: Target Center — Minneapolis, MN
- National TV: ABC
- Tickets: Lynx.com
What to Watch For
Playoff Spectacle
Olivia Miles is taking center stage on Sunday. It’s the first playoff game of the season and all eyes (and goggles) will be on her postseason debut. She’s had the last week off to rest a sore calf, but all indications is that she will be at full strength
with the ball goes up. There aren’t many rookie records that The Spectacle hasn’t broken, but now she’ll be venturing into the postseason waters.
Miles will absolutely be key to the Lynx chances to emerge victorious. Minnesota holds a 2-2 record without the soon-to-be Rookie of the Year, and 31-9 record when she is active. Her effect is massive. When looking at the specific matchup against New York, their weakness may be in the backcourt. Not only is their starting point guard, Sabrina Ionescu, already one of their weakest links on defense, but she’s also having a down year across the board (partially due to entering the season with an injury). Ionescu’s flanking guards, Marine Johannès and rookie Pauline Astier, are also sieves on defense.
All three of them have individual DEFRTGs of 111 which would place them at the very bottom when compared to anyone on the Lynx roster. Miles has to go at them.
The Lynx will still have their hands full in the frontcourt despite starting two former Defensive Players of the Year (Napheesa Collier, Natasha Howard). The duo of Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones is one of the toughest in the WNBA. However, if Liv can break past the first line of defense, her ability to draw fouls could spell trouble for Stewie and JJ.
A handful of Timberwolves were in attendance in their season finale on Thursday donning the goggle giveaways. Hopefully they’ll be there to support in game one!
Make Your Takes
Two of the Lynx four double-digit losses this season came at the hands of the Liberty. In those two games, Minnesota shot 40% or worse, well below their season average of 47.7%. A big part of their poor shooting woes was from beyond the arc, converting on sub-32% of their attempts, also well below their season average of 38.2%. New York is bottom half in the league at defending the three-point line, so could this all just have been poor shooting variance against the Lynx favor?
Minnesota defeated New York once in the regular season.
They outshot New York 50% to 34% from perimeter.
As the eternal Bill Russell once said, “This game has always been and always will be about buckets.” Or consider the old adage of “It’s a miss-or-make league.” It might just be that simple. Make your takes and glory may be yours. Players who’s signature ability is putting the ball in the bucket have to convert. That means Kayla McBride triples. Courtney Williams middys. Napheesa Collier fadeaways.
Prediction
The Target Center crowd arrives in full force, all wearing t-shirts that display the Minneapolis skyline. Breanna Stewart is called for 18 traveling violations. She shoots zero free throws.
Lynx win, 88-52.
