The 2024 WNBA Finals are set, and the New York Liberty will meet the Minnesota Lynx in an excellent display of world-class basketball. The Liberty have home-court advantage after decimating the Las Vegas Aces 4-1 in the semifinals. They have been stellar all playoffs and will face the best talent the Western Conference has to offer.
Napheesa Collier and the Lynx are fresh off a five-game series win over the Connecticut Sun. The 2024 Defensive Player Of The Year had a historic playoff performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds for three consecutive games in a series. Courtney Williams has also performed at a star level with her scoring and playmaking ability.
Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, and Dijonai Carrington all had their moments in the series, but the trio succumbed to the depth of the Lynx. Kayla Mcbride and Bridget Carleton also shined and have played massive roles during their quest to make the Finals. It is the first appearance in seven years for the iconic franchise that claimed four WNBA championships from 2011 to 2017.
It will be a clash of the titans as Breanna Stewart and Collier battle in the post. Stewart performed nicely against the 2024 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, who is a 2x Defensive Player Of The Year, so Collier will have to defend her harder than any other opponent she’s faced all season. This is where Jonquel Jones will come in, and Alanna Smith will have to match her physicality. The Liberty’s frontcourt is the best rebounding pair in the entire league and they have maintained their status throughout the playoffs.
Jones and Stewart combine for 3 offensive rebounds a game, which leads to multiple second-chance points. Collier comes into the series averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, but Smith averages 5.6 per game. The Liberty will be superior in the post, but the guard play is where the Lynx can make it interesting.
They arguably have better depth at the guard position with Mcbride, Williams, and Natisha Hiedeman in their rotation. 2024 Coach Of The Year, and Lynx Head Coach, Cheryl Reeves, will have to devise a defensive scheme for Ionescu. She has been one of the best players in the entire WNBA playoffs, and Williams will likely be assigned to defend her or they will utilize a zone.
In six playoff games so far, Ionescu has scored 20+ points in four of them, including 36 points versus Atlanta Dream on September 24th. She will be the X factor for the Liberty in this series. Her three-pointer shooting gives the Liberty valuable spacing, which Head Coach Sandy Brondello utilizes in her offensive sets. Brondello uses off-ball movement and matchup exploitations in isolation to defeat her opponents.
Her system has been extremely successful with her three superstars, and their supporting cast is the best in all of the Eastern Conference. Future Hall Of Famer Courtney Vandersloot and First-Team All-Rookie selection, Leonie Fiebich, have both shined during the entire playoff run. These two teams were undoubtedly the best ones all year, and now we will find out which one is superior.
Multiple future Hall Of Famers will grace the floor, but only one team can leave with the Finals trophy. After analyzing how both teams match up against each other, I believe that the Liberty will claim their first WNBA title and Ionescu will be awarded the Finals MVP.
New York’s star power will be too much for Collier and the Lynx. All three superstars are healthy and have performed all playoffs. The Liberty will also be rested from their two-day break after their series win over the Aces while the Lynx are fresh off a five-game series and a day of traveling.
If the Lynx can steal one of the first two games in New York, it will change the series dramatically and open the door for any result to occur. As long as they have Mcbride, Williams, Carleton, and Collier, it will be an interesting series. The fans will win regardless because of what we are about to witness. It all begins Thursday night on ESPN at 8 PM and the world will be watching as the two best teams fight to achieve the pinnacle of women’s basketball.
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