WNBA: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx renew rivalry on ABC

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx will meet yet again this Saturday, Aug. 16 in a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals. It’s the third time in as many weeks the Liberty and Lynx will be playing each other, and it will be televised nationally on CBS, with tip off scheduled for 2 p.m. ET.

Ever since the 2024 WNBA Finals, which the Liberty narrowly won over the Lynx in five games, it’s been widely assumed that both teams would return to play for another championship in 2025. We aren’t quite there yet, but both New York and Minnesota have remained among the league’s top teams during the regular season, so it makes sense that they’ll be taking center stage on Saturday. Though a couple of the WNBA’s biggest names will be missing from the matchup, there will still be plenty of things to watch for as the Liberty and Lynx renew their rivalry.

The Lynx offense is rolling, even without Collier

The Lynx are more or less running it back with the same formula that took them to the Finals in 2024: ball movement, proper floor spacing and efficient 3-point shooting. Their offense has been one of the most efficient in the WNBA for the entirety of this season, and since the All-Star break, they’ve looked even sharper. In those eight games, Minnesota is 7-1 and scoring a whopping 118.1 points per 100 possessions. The Lynx are shooting the ball extremely well and taking good care of it, too, leading the WNBA in both effective field goal percentage (59 percent) and assist/turnover ratio (1.99) since the break.

Making this even more impressive is that Minnesota has been without their best player. Napheesa Collier, who is considered by most to be a leading candidate for this season’s MVP, suffered an ankle sprain on August 2 and has missed the last three games—all Lynx victories. The team’s only update since Collier got injured was that there’s no timetable for her return, so it doesn’t seem likely that she’ll suit up on Saturday.

Fortunately for the Lynx, there’s no reason for them to rush Collier back. They have a six-game lead in the standings over the second-place Atlanta Dream, and they’d likely much rather their star get a few extra days of rest than risk her re-aggravating her injury, even if it’s against a team like the Liberty. As great a player as Collier is—she’s currently averaging a league-leading 23.5 points per game and shooting 53.7 percent from the field—the Lynx have shown that they can still score the ball effectively enough in her absence.

Can the Liberty get their groove back?

New York may have come out on top in the 2024 Finals, but Minnesota has had the Liberty’s number since then. The Lynx won head-to-head matchups against the Liberty on July 30 and Aug. 10, and while it’s still possible for the Liberty to even the season series, they definitely have some things to improve upon if they’re going to do that.

The Liberty got off to a tremendous start to the season, winning their first nine games and sitting at 15-6 at the All-Star break, but haven’t maintained that level of play recently. They’ve gone 6-6 since the break in what has been a grueling schedule, and they’re now without star forward Breanna Stewart, who suffered a bone bruise in her knee in late July. Stewart, whose length and skill has been an integral part of New York’s success since signing with the Liberty in 2023, isn’t expected back for another two weeks.

Without Stewart, the Liberty have struggled, especially on defense. In nine games without her, New York has posted a lukewarm defensive rating of 105.1 and has allowed 12.7 fast break points and 13 second-chance points per game—both among the most in the WNBA during that span.

This has placed more pressure on New York’s other top players, namely Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones, to perform at their best. Ionescu, who is averaging a career-best 19.3 points per game, will need to have a strong game shooting the ball against a formidable Lynx backcourt of Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride.

Meesseman and Carrington have been making an impact for their new teams

Another player who the Liberty will need to step up is forward Emma Meesseman, who is back in the WNBA after a multi-season absence. The two-time All-Star signed with New York in early August and has been excellent in her short time there, averaging 16.2 points and 6.2 rebounds in six games and keeping the Liberty’s frontcourt afloat in Stewart’s absence. Meesseman has been one of the league’s more efficient scorers during her WNBA career, and she’ll be expected to have a big game on Saturday, especially without Collier defending her.

The Lynx have a recent acquisition of their own in DiJonai Carrington. Minnesota acquired Carrington in a trade with the Dallas Wings in an effort to improve its depth and perimeter defense, and she’s lived up to that bill so far, averaging 13.3 points and two steals in three games as a Lynx. The 2024 Most Improved Player has already proven to be interchangeable with starting off-guard Bridget Carleton, which has given Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve more options with her lineups. Carrington could be especially valuable against the Liberty if she’s tasked with defending Ionescu.