The Liberty have been extraordinarily targeted on scoring one purpose after one other all through the season, which set them up for the final word success and a little bit of franchise historical past over the following few days.
The very best general report within the common season and the coveted house court docket benefit within the playoffs that comes with it? Test it out.
Overcoming their scars from 2023 and exacting revenge on the group that denied them the league title a 12 months in the past? Completed.
After knocking out two-time champion Las Vegas Ace, dangerous minnesota lynx stand in the way within the Liberty’s second straight journey to the WNBA Finals, with the best-of-five collection opener promising to rock Atlantic Avenue Thursday night time at Barclays Middle.
“I believe actually what we’re speaking about is the sensation we had final 12 months,” mentioned All Stars ahead Breanna Stewart, a two-time WNBA champion earlier in her profession with the Seattle Storm. “However we’re higher than we have been final 12 months. We discovered from that and did all of the issues we wished to do that season and now we’re again within the finals.
“All of us got here collectively to do one thing particular and now’s our second to be right here and alter what occurred earlier than.”
This marks the Liberty’s sixth journey to the Finals for the reason that WNBA’s inception in 1997, and they’re the one unique franchise with no championship.
They moved to Brooklyn from Madison Sq. Backyard in 2020.
“We all know. We all know we now have a possibility to do one thing that is by no means been finished earlier than and be the primary,” Stewart mentioned. “If you end up first, there isn’t any different first.
“We’re taking part in for one another, however we’re taking part in for this franchise and we’re taking part in for individuals who have been right here earlier than us and have not gotten over this hurdle.”
The ultimate hurdle would be the Lynx, the No. 2 seed after ending 30-10 within the common season earlier than knocking off Phoenix and Connecticut within the first two rounds of the postseason.
Minnesota faces MVP runner-up Nafiza Collier, a former UConn teammate of Stewarts.
The 6-foot-6 ahead elevated her scoring common from 20.4 factors per recreation within the common season to 27.1 with 9.7 rebounds per recreation in seven postseason video games.
The Liberty misplaced two of three video games in opposition to the Lynx through the common season, together with a Minnesota win in Brooklyn in September.
However All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu and coach Sandy Brondello mentioned the Lynx “have not seen us at our greatest,” particularly the late-season roster shakeup, changing Courtney Vandersloot within the beginning 5 with impression rookie Leoni Fibich.
“Our season wasn’t the simplest by way of continuity and now I really feel we have peaked on the proper time,” Ionescu mentioned. “I really feel like we’re in a very good place proper now.”
That spot is again within the Finals, with probably three video games on their house court docket, with a shot at glory and an opportunity to make franchise historical past.
“We have now this scar, this ache and this reminiscence [of last year]but it surely’s a very totally different state of affairs, a special group and we’ll be prepared for it,” Stewart mentioned. “It is totally different as a result of I really feel like we have grown up. we’re prepared
“I really feel like final 12 months the whole lot occurred actually shortly with the group and it was form of like ‘prepared or not, we’re coming.’ Now we have gone by way of that, we have got that mindset, that chemistry. And for me, actually, the most important factor is having that house court docket benefit. That is what you need. You need it for that motive, for the finals.”
