MINNEAPOLIS — It is indeed appropriate that a historic season for the WNBA culminates in a decisive Game 5 for the Finals.
For the first time since 2019, the championship series will go the full distance, with the thrilling finale slated to take place in New York this Sunday evening.
In an exciting turn of events, the Minnesota Lynx managed to avoid elimination by securing an 82-80 victory over the New York Liberty on Friday night, setting the stage for this critical fifth game.
Breanna Stewart, a standout player for the Liberty, expressed confidence in her team’s ability to rebound from losses effectively. “For our team, we bounce back after a loss really, really well, making sure that everybody is on the same page going forward,” she noted. Stewart emphasized the importance of resilience and focus, reminding her teammates of their ultimate goal. “Like (coach) Sandy (Brondello) said in the locker room, we haven’t won anything yet; we haven’t lost anything yet. And we have the opportunity to do that Sunday.”
The first four matchups of the series have been exceptionally close, relying on critical last-minute plays and a notable overtime game. These thrilling encounters have drawn impressive viewership, with each of the initial three games attracting over a million viewers on average, and the audience growing with each contest. The live attendance has also been remarkable, underscoring the heightened interest in this championship showdown.
Both teams will have historical stakes at play this Sunday. The Lynx are on the verge of capturing their fifth WNBA title, which would set a new record, surpassing their rivals, the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm, who are tied with four championships each. Meanwhile, the Liberty are chasing their first-ever title, having been runners-up five times. They were part of the league’s inaugural eight teams when it debuted in 1997 and remain the only original team without a championship win.
Since the league adopted a best-of-five format in 2005, there have been seven previous series that reached a decisive fifth game. The home team has triumphed in five of those instances, including the 2019 Finals.
Cheryl Reeve, the coach of the Lynx, has been part of three consecutive Game 5s from 2015 to 2017, winning two of those pivotal matches. She also served as an assistant for the Detroit Shock during their decisive games in 2006-2007. “I don’t think about the other ones,” Reeve remarked. “I feel very blessed in my career to have a chance to have been a part of so many. I haven’t won them all… What I’m thrilled about is that this group gets to experience the Game 5.”
The Liberty, having earned the best record during the regular season, will host this defining game on their home turf.
“That’s what we said we worked for all season long,” noted Coach Brondello. “Minnesota did what they needed to do here to tie it up, and now we go back home. We love playing in front of our home crowd. So it will definitely be another sellout, and it will definitely be loud. And we have to bring our A game.”
Brondello also acknowledged the strong competition posed by the Lynx, stating, “I have a lot of respect for Minnesota, don’t get me wrong. This is a really tough team. They play well. They compete. So we’ve got one more game, and we’re going to win on our home court.”
