The WNBA Finals are back and the Liberty have returned to the big stage with a chance to redeem last year's loss to the Aces. They've already faced the Lynx in a championship setting as the Lynx defeated the Liberty in the Commissioner's Cup on June 25th. In three regular-season matchups, the Lynx came away victorious in two of the three matchups. Still, the Liberty have the advantage of Finals experience as they seek the first title in their franchise history. As for the Lynx, they are looking to return to the glory days of the Maya Moore era when they won four titles in a seven-year run. It's no surprise seeing these two titans clash in the WNBA as they were the two best teams in the league all season, but who will find a way to win it all?
The Lynx enter the WNBA Finals with their best player, Napheesa Collier arguably having the best year of her brilliant career. Collier won the Defensive Player of the Year award and the Commissioner's Cup MVP in a victory over the Liberty. Napheesa was the MVP runner-up averaging 20.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game. In the playoffs, she has been even more special averaging a league-leading 27.1 points per game with her best performance coming in a win over the Mercury where she dropped 42 points.
The Lynx will need their other key players to play as well as they did in the semifinals against the Sun. Lynx guard and second-leading scorer Courtney Williams. In the playoffs, she has shot an incredible 72.7% from three while leading the team in assists with 5.7 per game. Arguably, her most impactful playoff performance came on a poor shooting night for Collier, who scored just nine points. Williams led the way for the Lynx, scoring a team-high 17 points in a 77-70 win over the Sun.
The New York Liberty were expected to return to this stage because of the dominant presence of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. They finished with the best record in the WNBA and seemed to be highly motivated after falling short in last year's finals. Led by Breanna Stewart, the Liberty continued their strong performance in the playoffs, currently holding a 5-1 record. Sabrina Ionescu has been outstanding in the postseason, leading the team in points, assists, and steals per game. She delivered an exceptional performance against the Atlanta Dream, scoring 36 points in a closeout victory.
Ultimately, the Liberty will need Breanna Stewart at her best to win a championship but if the regular season is any indicator for the series, the biggest X-factor could be Jonquel Jones. In the lone regular season win the Liberty had over the Lynx it was Jonquel Jones who was the best player. In the two losses, Jones scored 4 and 9 points respectively. Jones poses a unique matchup to defenses with her ability to score in the paint, shoot the three, and rebound at a high rate. If Jones can be impactful on both ends of the floor it will make a huge difference in the series.
Minnesota has had an amazing season, exceeding everyone's expectations. However, after their tough loss in last year's Finals, I anticipate the Liberty being the hungrier and more motivated team. This series could go all the way, but I believe the Liberty's home-court advantage will be a significant factor. My prediction is that the Liberty will win the series in five games, and I also think Sabrina Ionescu will clinch her first Finals MVP.
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