When last we saw the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty together on the court nine months ago, it was Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA finals, a contest where a late traveling non-call followed by a questionable defensive foul went against the Lynx and the title went to New York.
For whatever reason, the WNBA schedule-makers did not pit the two teams against one another this season until Wednesday, the first of four games against one another in a 20-day span, including three straight from Aug. 10-19.
It was well worth the wait for Lynx fans.
Napheesa Collier scored 30 points and added nine rebounds in a long-awaited rematch and the Lynx beat New York 100-93 inside Target Center.
“It’s been so long, it doesn’t feel like a finals rematch. Maybe if the schedule was different and we played them in the beginning of the year, but now it just feels like two really good teams going against each other,” Collier said.
Kayla McBride made five of Minnesota’s season-high 15 3-pointers as part of a 24-point night and the Lynx (23-5) have a five-game lead over New York for the WNBA’s best record.
“It’s fun to compete at a high level with the second-best team in the league, that’s what you want, especially at home,” McBride said.
Point guard Courtney Williams struggled with her shot (1-13), but had a career high-tying 13 assists, grabbed nine rebounds and had just one turnover.
“She just didn’t make shots. Everything else she did was really good,” coach Cheryl Reeve said. “Courtney’s long been one of the best rebounding guards in the league, but when she really, really gets locked in, you see what you saw tonight, where she’s elevating above bigs to reach for rebounds that are at the top. When she’s doing that, it’s so good for us and I know she’s in a great place.”
“Courtney is just a hooper,” added McBride.
The highly anticipated game lived up to the massive hype that included the “SportsCenter’s 50 States in 50 Days” tour making its Minnesota stop.
“Fans were excited to see this matchup and I think they were treated to a heck of a basketball game. Great for ESPN as well,” Reeve said.
Collier is the Lynx superstar, but the national broadcast was far from Phee’s show.
Alanna Smith scored 12 points, Bridget Carleton had a trio of treys as part of her 10-point outing, and Natisha Hiedeman came off the bench to provide an early fourth-quarter spark with eight of her 10 points.
New York scored the final seven points of the third quarter to get within six, but back-to-back 3s from Hiedeman and a layup off a Jessica Shepard feed pushed the Lynx lead to 76-65. Shepard, who Reeve said was “terrific,” also grabbed seven rebounds off the bench.
That was a common theme: Minnesota responded every time New York went on a bit of a run. Most importantly, it did so very late.
Sabrina Ionescu and Marine Johannès scored from deep and, followed by Isabelle Harrison scoring low, the Liberty were within four with 1:02 left.
With nearly everyone in the sellout crowd of 10,824 rising to their feet, Collier scored on a scoop around Harrison and added the free-throw to complete a 3-point play for a 95-88 lead with 50.1 seconds left. McBride made three late free throws and Williams two to ice the win.
“More than anything, it was great to show our resilience once again because teams are going to go on runs. They’re a really great team, they’re going to do that, but the fact that we were able to hold them off and still win the game tells a lot about us as well,” Collier said.
Ionescu led the Liberty with 31 points. New York (17-9), which has lost three in a row, played without All-Star forward Breanna Stewart, who missed her second straight game with a right knee bone bruise.
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