It all comes down to a winner-take-all game five, as the Minnesota Lynx head to New York on a mission to go home with their second trophy of the season. This is for WNBA history.
Minnesota Lynx fans have been waiting seven years for their opportunity to claim banner number five. They have battled all season against all odds and proved their many doubters wrong. ESPN’s Michael Voepel infamously ranked the Lynx ninth in their preseason power rankings. Just over a week ago, most sports betting books had the Liberty as the heavy favorite (BetMGM had New York as -225 favorites). After suffering a gut punch of a defeat in game three, they bounced right back by winning an absolute thriller against the New York Liberty to even up the series 2-2.
It’s time.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Game Info
- Who: #2 Minnesota Lynx (2-2) vs. #1 New York Liberty (2-2)
- When: Sunday, October 20 at 7:00 PM CT
- Where: Barclays Center — Brooklyn, NY
- National TV: ESPN
What to Watch For
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Will the Lights Be Too Bright?
In game four of the 2023 WNBA Finals, then MVP Breanna Stewart had her back against the wall in a must-win game against the Las Vegas Aces. Though the Liberty had a chance on the final possession of the game and ended up losing by just a single point, Stewart scored a series-worst 10 points on a putrid 3 of 17 shooting performance. She watched as the Aces celebrated their second straight WNBA championship on her own home floor in front of her own fans.
Was the moment too big for one of the greatest women’s basketball players?
Stewie has looked like a woman on a mission this year, navigating her team to a near flawless season. But history has shown, her former college teammate and current Defensive Player of the Year, Napheesa Collier, has been her kryptonite. Collier has been the primary defender on Stewart this series and has held her to 33.8% shooting. This includes another 5 for 21 (23.8%) display in game four. Will Stewart be feeling the pressure in a must-win game five with all the momentum against their favor?
Meanwhile, New York’s game three hero, Sabrina Ionescu, went 5 for 15 with zero three pointers made in game four. Credit to Kayla McBride and the completely overlooked job she has done in making life difficult for Ionescu.
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
Is Alanna Smith the Key?
After putting up an astounding +20 in a three point game three loss, Alanna Smith’s back injury that kept her out of the final quarter may have been the only reason that the Lynx didn’t clinch the championship on Friday. Though Smith’s name wasn’t on the injury report for game four, Smith labored up and down the court to start the game. She scored just two points on 1 of 4 shooting in the first half. Though she wasn’t credited with a turnover, a number of catchable passes to her went rolling out of bounds because of her inability to move normally. Dorka Juhász got the call to spell her and it felt as though Smith’s back just wasn’t going to cooperate.
Both teams hit the locker room at the half.
That’s when she finally warmed up. In the first possession of the second half, Smith drilled a three pointer. Later on, with the Liberty holding their largest lead of the game of six points, the Australian canned another bomb from deep to keep the Lynx in it. She would finish the second half with 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting. It’s clear that a healthy Smith is an absolute difference maker and hopefully getting 48 more hours to get loose will pay big dividends.
Prediction
LEAVE NO DOUBT! The Lynx crush the Liberty as a shell-shocked home crowd watch as the greatest coach of all-time, Cheryl Reeve, hoists the WNBA Championship Trophy for a record fifth time.
Lynx victory, 80-60.