WNBA power rankings: Liberty, Lynx finally take center stage in first Finals rematch of the season
A trifecta of this season's overarching trends takes center stage when the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty meet in their first Finals rematch this week. The game in Minneapolis (Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET on ESPN) is the first of four matchups within the next three weeks.
It will likely be played without 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart after she injured her leg in a loss to Los Angeles on Saturday. Head coach Sandy Brondello said there is no timetable for her return. Lynx forward Alanna Smith could also miss the contest.
That puts a damper on the long-anticipated clash of teams that return the majority of their rosters from a 2024 Finals series that went a full five games and featured an immediately iconic quote by Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve.
'This s*** was stolen from us,' she said in the interview room following a Game 5 overtime loss. The Liberty, meanwhile, sprayed champagne and snapped photos in the locker room, reveling in redemption from a Game 1 overtime meltdown.
In the months since, the Liberty front office tinkered toward a legacy while the Lynx relied on repeating the strong chemistry that led them to the brink of a record fifth WNBA title. The sides remain on a collision course for a Finals rematch, but now their first regular-season meeting — and possibly those to come — loses a layer of luster.
The Lynx play three straight against the Liberty beginning in New York on Aug. 10 (12:30 p.m. ET, ABC), in Minnesota on Aug. 16 (2 p.m. ET, CBS) and back in New York on Aug. 19 (7 p.m., NBA TV). They can treat it as a playoff series, tinkering with adjustments in the lead-up to each contest. A healthy roster, rest and the rare privilege of practice time are advantages.
The Liberty, already traversing constant bouts of adversity, will be caught in a whirlwind playing four games in six days before finishing out the series. They play in Dallas on Aug. 8, head home for the afternoon Lynx tip-off, play in Los Angeles on Aug. 12 and in Las Vegas on Aug. 13.
Those chasing the Liberty won't care, but the champs sure can't catch a break. Every break of light at the end of the tunnel is extinguished upon proximity. Center Jonquel Jones, their double-double foundation, returned out of the All-Star break only for Stewart to exit in the third game with the whole gang back together. A 10-point loss to the 11th-place Wings on Monday night sparked a team meeting.
Every starter will have now missed time, forcing Brondello to enlist her 10th different starting lineup in 24 games. Their nine-game winning streak to begin the season gave way when Jones missed a June 14 rematch with Indiana, then led by a healthy Caitlin Clark. Lengthy forward Leonie Fiebich went to EuroBasket. Nyara Sabally, also ruled out this week, is contending with lingering injuries.
Ionescu missed a game, as did point guard Natasha Cloud. Cloud's presence will give New York a speedier, stronger defender in the Lynx series. Though with the overall defensive difficulties the Liberty displayed without Stewart, it may be negated. Emma Meesseman, the Mystics' 2019 Finals MVP and a three-time EuroLeague MVP, will land stateside soon to add to their riches.
Minnesota's rule over the WNBA standings hasn't been immune to difficulties, either. Smith is working through an 'ongoing' ankle injury, Reeve said on Sunday. A back injury hampered her effectiveness in the final two games of the Finals series.
Napheesa Collier, the runaway league leader in win shares, also missed a couple of games and is playing with a brace on her shoulder. She built the beginnings of this season's MVP campaign in the postseason, averaging 23.8 points, 9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.9 blocks. The forward packed the stat line in a loss to Atlanta on Sunday with 32 points on 18 shots with 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks. But no one else scored more than 12, and the frontcourt couldn't contain 6-foot-9 Brittney Griner's team-high 22 points. The Lynx falter most when they can't contribute around her.
It hasn't proved a problem that often. The Lynx remain the league's best defense (93.3 points allowed per 100 possessions) and are scoring more on average through 26 games (85.8 ppg) than the same stretch a year ago (81.1 ppg).
The offense remains historically clean, a data point to underline Reeve's belief in this team's chemistry continuity. The 1.919 assists-to-turnover ratio ranks third behind the heralded 2019 Washington Mystics (2.016) and 2023 Las Vegas Aces (1.951). They could again reset the assisted shot rate record after a historic 76.43 a year ago. The 2025 roster is at 74.50.
In a season of odd stretches and moving team ceilings, the upcoming regular season series could mean a lot or nothing at all. Stars will miss time. Back-to-backs will impact availability. Rest will assist one team and burn the other. The No. 1 seed and home-court advantage through the Finals remain in the balance.
The series still has a little bit of just about everything, only in a completely different way than it did nine months ago when it enthralled us all in October.
Performer of the week: Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks
The Sparks' five-game winning streak is a tad disingenuous given it consists of wins over Connecticut twice, Washington twice and a New York team reeling in the immediate aftermath of losing Stewart in the first three minutes.
Still, wins are wins, and Los Angeles is making a post-All-Star push behind its duo of Dearica Hamby and Kelsey Plum. Hamby scored 17 points, shooting 72.7% overall (including making her only 3-point attempt), with 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal in the win over New York. In the three wins this week, she averaged 20.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and two assists.
Even better for Hamby and Co.? Cameron Brink, the all-rookie level No. 2 overall pick, returns on Tuesday in her first action since an ACL tear cut her first year short. Brink will give the Sparks an appreciated defensive boost. She averaged 2.3 blocks over 15 games, second-best in the league.
Game of the week
Since we've already gone in-depth on Liberty-Lynx, let's look further into the week.
Mercury at Dream, Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ION: Each team signed multiple jaw-dropping free agents to soar into the top of the standings at the halfway point. While Mercury trio Kahleah Copper, Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally have rarely played together, a strong supporting cast has Phoenix in a good spot with defense (99.1 defensive rating, fourth) and unselfish offensive play (21 assists per game ranks third). The Dream are shooting more 3-pointers than almost anyone else in the league, from point guard Jordin Canada on through to bigs Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones. Their size is tough to combat, as the Lynx experienced firsthand this week.
Yahoo Sports power poll
1. Minnesota Lynx (22-5)2. Atlanta Dream (15-10)3. New York Liberty (17-8)4. Phoenix Mercury (16-9)5. Indiana Fever (14-12)6. Seattle Storm (16-11)7. Las Vegas Aces (13-13)8. Los Angeles Sparks (11-14)9. Washington Mystics (12-13)10. Golden State Valkyries (11-13)11. Dallas Wings (8-19)12. Chicago Sky (7-18)13. Connecticut Sun (4-21)
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