WNBA Playoffs: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx Finals Game 1 preview

And then there were two. The No. 1-seed the New York Liberty will face the No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx in the 2024 WNBA Finals.

New York is trying to win its first WNBA title in franchise history, with Minnesota is trying to win its fifth. As the best team in the WNBA, the Liberty will host Game 1 on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Which team will take the first game? And what’s the path to each team earning that first win?

How the Liberty will win

They have the best record, home court and Spike Lee. The Liberty have all the momentum in the world to take Game 1. Still, those are narratives; execution will be necessary.

That means Sabrina Ionescu taking on the Lynx guards, staying aggressive and getting Breanna Stewart involved early and often, as well as Jonquel Jones staying out of foul trouble. We should expect Leonie Fiebich to continue starting, as she has throughout this playoff run, and Courtney Vandersloot to keep coming off the bench.

In head-to-head matchups, the Lynx have beaten the Liberty, winning the season series 2-1. Minnesota also won the Commissioner’s Cup against New York, 94-89. So while New York has a lot going for them, they’ll have to be on top of their game, in addition to disrupting Naphessa Collier as much as possible, to come out with a win on Thursday night.

How the Lynx will win

Road wins in the WNBA Finals are worth their weight in gold. If Minnesota wants to get the upset, they’ll need an MVP performance from Collier. Which is completely possible, given that she’s averaging 27.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in these playoffs.

Guard play will be the X factor for the Lynx. They’ll need to keep up with New York’s firepower. If Courtney Williams can get going and score 18 to 20 points in this contest, it’ll go a long way to helping the Lynx steal Game 1.

Minnesota was the best 3-point shooting team during the regular season, shooting 38 percent from deep. They’ve essentially maintained that average in the playoffs, hitting 37.2 percent of their attempts from beyond the arc. The problem for the Lynx is the Liberty have been just as good, also averaging 37.2 percent from 3 during this postseason.

This series should be a tough, competitive battle. Regardless of who wins Game 1, expect this to go the distance. Both teams have been the best in the league, and the gap between them is as small as can be.

Game information

No. 1-seed New York Liberty vs. No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx

When: Thursday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

How to watch: ESPN

Liberty injury report: none

Lynx injury report: none