Game 5 Showdown: Lynx vs. Liberty for the 2024 WNBA Championship

There will be a deciding game 5 on Sunday in New York!!!

The Minnesota Lynx, their backs against the wall 2-1 after a disastrous Game 3 in Minnesota, conjured yet another Houdini-like escape from the clutches of defeat, to beat the favored New York Liberty 82-80. The win tied the WNBA Finals series 2-all, forcing a win-or-die Game 5 in Brooklyn. 

Bridget Carleton showed nerves of steel, canning 2 free throws with 2 seconds left in regulation to seal the win for the embattled Lynx. Both teams had been pounding it off evenly against each other for a spine-tingling, blood, sweat and tears-inducing 39 minutes and 58 seconds. And it just had to be resolved in the last 2 seconds, with the game – and perhaps the tourney – on the line. Bridget calmly sank both her free throws. And the Lynx then played their trademark stingy honest defense for an agonizing 2 seconds to seal the win. 

Looking back at the last 4 games, this do-or-die Game 5 should be a thriller. The Lynx stole Game 1, 95-93 via overtime. The Liberty hit back, scoring the only lopsided win in Game 2, 80-66, to tie the series at 1-1. The Liberty took the lead 2-1 via a 80-77 squeaker. Finally, the Lynx tied the count at 2-apiece with this 82-80 thriller. With 2 of the games won by gut-wrenching last-second shots, plus a third won by overtime; by all indications, this Game 5 will be yet another thriller. To be watched by another record-breaking audience.

The Lynx were totally underrated at the start of the regular season. With many of their players moving out and new ones coming in, they were not even expected to reach the playoffs. But they have jelled beautifully. And they showed how – despite having only 1 name star in the team – they still were able to compete for the coveted WNBA title. With Defensive Player of the Year and MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier leading the pack, and Kayla McBride leading a well-balanced offensive line, and Courtney Williams orchestrating the attack, the Lynx have been a pleasant surprise. These 3 will lead the underdog Minnesota Lynx challenge in hostile territory this Sunday for the right to wear this year’s coveted WNBA crown. 

The top-rated New York Liberty, on the other hand, has a bevy of star talents to parade front and center. With Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, they have 3 MVP awards, a big number of All-Star appearances, plus other awards such as the Olympic gold medal. Breanna starred in their Game 2 win, while Sabrina electrified with her 3-point bombs to close out Game 3. They are expected to do the heavy lifting for their team. And this menacing Big 3 are the Liberty’s biggest advantage over the Lynx. The Liberty’s disadvantage however will stem from the relatively shallower bench support. In Game 4, the Liberty reserves only saw action for 25 minutes, compared to the Lynx’ relievers who clocked in 37 minutes. 

This will be the 8th Game 5 in the WNBA Finals, the last being in 2019 when the Washington Mystics nosed out the Connecticut Suns 3-2. In these 7 previous winner-take-all epic struggles, the home team emerged champs 5 times, while the underdog visitors won only twice.

The Liberty has reached the Finals 5 times previously, but have yet to win their first championship. Last year, they reached the Finals once again, only to lose to the defending champs Las Vegas Aces 3-1. For the Liberty, this should be their first-ever title, should they win Game 5.

The Lynx, on the other hand, have been to the Finals 6 times, eventually winning the crown 4 times, the last in 2017 against the Los Angeles Sparks 3-2. If the Lynx win this Sunday, they will gain the distinction of having been the first team ever to have won 5 championship rings in the WNBA.

Using the homecourt advantage metric, we have the New York Liberty winning the crown. Using the championship history metric, the Minnesota Lynx’ 4-2 championship record easily trumps the New York Liberty’s 0-5 record.

For Breanna and Napheesa, this is a friendly rivalry between two All – League team leaders who were college teammates before in UConn. Both had highly successful collegiate careers under the basketball program developed by college basketball great, coach Geno Auriemma. Both were also key members on the gold-medal winning US Women’s Basketball Team in Paris recently. On top of all that, the two rivals have banded together as the organizers of the newest women’s basketball show in town, Unrivaled. This is a 3-on-3 league featuring a select few of the WNBA stars, and this is due to debut in January 2025. 

For this Game 5 however, Bree and Phee will be fighting fiercely for 1 ball, for 1 win, for 1 crown. For now, forget the niceties, forget about the friendship, forget about the Unrivaled. Both Bree and Phee will undoubtedly be the focal point for their respective teams in this intense fight for WNBA supremacy. Whoever shines brightest in this most crucial of games will most likely win the series MVP; and more importantly, lead her team to the WNBA 2024 crown. 

Cover photo courtesy of theday.com.