Of course, someone has to win a WNBA Finals and someone has to lose in a WNBA Finals as well.
The old saying “to the victor belong the spoils” will forever be true. While the New York Liberty are certainly basking in the glow of its first-ever championship, the Minnesota Lynx are now looking back asking what happened.
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve knew her team was probably one stop away in the fourth quarter from shattering every single one of the 18,000-plus hearts at Barclays Center that were hoping, begging, pleading and even praying for a Liberty victory. Except a controversial foul call against Alanna Smith sent Breanna Stewart at the line for a pair of free throw tries – and she was true on both to tie the contest up at 60.
One has to wonder if that foul call had a similar mental effect on Minnesota in overtime as the Lynx miraculous comeback in Game 1 clearly had on New York. Kayla McBride’s 3-point attempt at the end of regulation was an unsuccessful try.
Then the Liberty scored five quick points off a Leonie Fiebich 3-pointer plus a Nyara Sabally steal and fastbreak layup. The combination of being physically spent and mentally spent in overtime (plus Collier fouling out) was what tilted things in New York’s direction.
As controversial as that foul call against Smith was, the Lynx have to ask themselves why essentially the entire team outside of McBride and Napheesa Collier was held in check for that game. Collier scored 22 and McBride had 21 but no other Lynx player had more than six points.
Also – home teams typically get the benefit of the whistle. A strong case can be made that the foul on Smith should not have been called – why are referees deciding the outcome of championship games. But the Lynx got the benefit of the whistle in Game 4 as evidenced by the 20-9 disparity in terms of free throws and the Liberty got it at Barclays in Game 5.
The way that Game 5 concluded will likely be sliced and diced for days on Minnesota sports radio. The reality is even though Minnesota was likely only one stop shy of winning its fifth championship, the Lynx have nothing to be ashamed of.
It was not that long ago – the beginning of last season to be exact – that the Lynx began the season with an 0-6 record. Many a WNBA scribe and pundit (including us for full disclosure) were discussing if Minnesota should go in tank mode to attempt to lure the Twin Cities’ favorite daughter – Paige Bueckers – back to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
Except for one problem – coach Reeve does not do tank jobs. There is a reason as to why she is a four-time WNBA champion coach. There is a reason as to why she was this season’s Coach of the Year. There is a reason as to why she coached USA Basketball to a gold medal a few months ago at the Olympics in Paris.
Last season’s Lynx rendition qualified for the postseason but was ousted in the first round at the hands of the Connecticut Sun.
In many ways, this season was personal for Reeve because she was out to display to the rest of the WNBA that Minnesota has been every bit as instrumental in the W’s rise as the Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark.
This year’s Lynx assembling had the pieces to get it done. With Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Courtney Williams, Alanna Smith and Bridget Carleton, Minnesota established itself as a dangerous team – one that was once again among the WNBA’s elite.
Outside of Phee, the Lynx may not necessarily have had the names that regularly appear on the WNBA’s marquee. But Minnesota as a team belonged on that marquee.
Entering the season, much of the championship chatter revolved around the Liberty, Las Vegas Aces, Connecticut Sun and Seattle Storm (because they added Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith to go alongside Jewell Loyd and Ezi Magbegor). Minnesota entered itself into the chat in the most emphatic of ways – including notching wins over the Las Vegas Aces, Seattle Storm, Connecticut Sun and Liberty – including in the Commissioner’s Cup final.
In fact, the Lynx actually won the season series over the Liberty 3-1 when one includes that Commissioner’s Cup final – a game that was relocated from Barclays Center to UBS Arena in Nassau County because of NBA Draft preparations.
But the regular season is a different animal from the playoffs. The Lynx got past Phoenix in the first round then endured a grueling five-game series with the Sun in the second round.
All that stood between the Lynx and a fifth championship was a hungry and battle-tested New York team that still remembered the sting of the previous season’s championship defeat to the Aces.
Minnesota’s furious Game 1 comeback certainly raised the belief in many that the Lynx may do the impossible. Even after dropping Games 2 and 3, the Lynx matched the Liberty bucket for bucket in Game 4 to force a Game 5 back in New York.
And in New York, despite a record crowd of over 18,000 at Barclays Center, the Lynx had the Liberty on the ropes in the first half. Minnesota had New York staring more championship heartbreak directly in the face before Nyara Sabally and Kayla Thornton came off the bench to give the Liberty the spark it needed to vanquish the Lynx en route to that championship.
One cannot talk enough about what Collier did – in her first Finals. There was a reason why Phee was in the MVP conversation alongside A’ja Wilson all season long. Big time players show up in big time games. And it was her late fourth quarter baskets that nearly sealed the deal for Minnesota.
If a conversation about WNBA superstars ensues and No. 24’s name is not among said conversation then said conversation probably is not worth having. Collier is among the WNBA’s elite players and she will bring another championship to Minnesota.
By Reeve standards it may not have been a successful season for the Lynx – those are usually measured by championships. But there is no question that Minnesota greatly exceeded expectations. Even better for the Lynx is that the team’s entire starting five will be under contract for the 2025 season.
Teams that win championships typically have to go through a crushing defeat before they experience that euphoria. The Aces had to lose in 2020 to the Storm in the bubble to get to the two championships they won in 2022 and 2023. The Liberty had to lose last season in the Finals to get to this point where they are 2024’s WNBA champions.
As heartbreaking as it is for the Lynx to be so close but come out on the short end, this is their “go through something” moment. Which means Minnesota’s fifth “get to something” moment is right around the corner.
Delayed, but not denied.
