A new WNBA champion will be crowned this season.
The New York Liberty are one step closer to their first title in franchise history after avenging last season’s Finals loss to the Las Vegas Aces.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx are pursuing a record-breaking fifth WNBA championship following a hard-fought semifinal clash against the Connecticut Sun.
New York Liberty
How they got here
Record: 32-8 (1st in WNBA standings)
First Round: Liberty 2, Dream 0
Semifinals: Liberty 3, Aces 1
Star player: Breanna Stewart
Minnesota Lynx
How they got here
Record: 30-10 (2nd in WNBA standings)
First Round: Lynx 2, Mercury 0
Semifinals: Lynx 3, Sun 2
Star player: Napheesa Collier
Can the Lynx provide any sort of interior resistance against Stewart and Jonquel Jones? New York dropped the season series but had a plus-24 advantage in points in the paint across their four tilts this year. Minnesota does have Collier – the reigning Defensive Player of the Year – and added Myisha Hines-Allen from the Washington Mystics at the trade deadline. Six-foot-five forward Dorka Juhasz could also see some minutes to spell Alanna Smith. The Lynx have some size to counter Stewart and Jones, but shutting down the talented frontcourt duo will be easier said than done.