After a 40-game regular season and three playoff rounds, the WNBA Finals’ Game 5 is the last game of the 2024 season, set to take place on Sunday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The Lynx forced Game 5 with a narrow 82-80 victory over the New York Liberty on Friday, thanks to Bridget Carleton’s clutch free throws with two seconds remaining.
The Lynx, facing elimination, managed to send the series back to the East for the decisive game. This marks the eighth Finals Game 5 in WNBA history and the first since 2019.
The New York Liberty are making their sixth appearance in the WNBA Finals since 1997 but are still seeking their first championship, having been defeated by the Las Vegas Aces in four games last year.
Minnesota is aiming for a record fifth WNBA title, having previously won four championships, with star players like Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, and Rebekkah Brunson leading the way.
Coach Reeve has been part of six WNBA Finals Game 5s, winning three with different teams and experiencing tough losses, such as in 2007 when the Shock missed out on repeating as champions.
The Lynx now face the challenge of trying to secure the title on the road, as winning away has been a rarity in the first 11 years of the WNBA.
