BROOKLYN — The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are set to tip-off on Thursday evening for Recreation 1 of the WNBA Finals, and gamers and coaches alike addressed the media forward of the sequence’ starting.
For the Lynx, lower than 48 hours separate a Finals-clinching Recreation 5 win over the Lynx, and the tip-off of the WNBA Finals. For the Liberty, discussions centered across the variations between this 12 months’s group and final 12 months’s — and what it is going to take to recover from the hump this 12 months.
Right here’s what we discovered in each group’s pre-Recreation 1 media availabilities.
1. The Lynx’s fast turnaround from semifinals to Finals has been wild
On Tuesday evening, Minnesota clinched a spot within the Finals with a win over the Solar.
Twelve hours later, they boarded a flight to New York Metropolis, and headed straight to a late afternoon media availability at Barclay’s Middle.
Early Wednesday night, Bridget Carleton mentioned that the group hadn’t even had an opportunity to go over movie in preparation of the Liberty recreation, although Cheryl Reeve reiterated a lot of occasions that the short turnaround was no excuse.
The Liberty, in the meantime, have been off making ready for the Finals since Sunday, after defeating the Aces in Recreation 4. Nonetheless, Breanna Stewart needs the the Finals schedule was prolonged previous October twentieth (the present date for Recreation 5) to provide groups extra time between rounds, and between Finals video games.
“That is the most important second of the season, and it’s going to be condensed into probably 10 days, you realize?” Stewart mentioned.
2. The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx are stylistically related
The Liberty-Lynx matchup ought to be enjoyable for a lot of causes, and considered one of them is that each groups are stylistically related. That wasn’t the case between the Lynx and the Connecticut Solar — head coach Cheryl Reeve truly described the groups as stylistic opposites — and it wasn’t the case between the Las Vegas Aces and Liberty, both.
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Photograph by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE through Getty Photos
“I believe we each play a very enjoyable model basketball,” mentioned Lynx guard Bridget Carleton. “We each rely closely on assists, assisted baskets, sharing the ball. I believe that’s what’s entertaining to look at. I believe that’s why followers have preferred watching each our groups play this 12 months… we all know one another so properly. The whole lot’s going to be more durable within the playoffs.”
2. The Lynx won’t be as battle-tested as New York, however they’re not any much less hungry
The narrative all 12 months has been that the Liberty are looking for redemption after falling to the Aces in final 12 months’s Finals. Defeating Las Vegas within the semifinals was step one towards that redemption.
The Lynx, in the meantime, are a newly-assembled group. Solely 5 gamers return from final 12 months, and the group doesn’t share a trauma the way in which New York does. Nonetheless, the dearth of playoff expertise collectively doesn’t make Minnesota any much less
“All of us, individually, are hungry,” mentioned Carleton. “It’s form of cool. Clearly, we don’t have, the ‘shedding a championship final 12 months’ like they do. We form of all simply got here collectively this 12 months.
“We’ve had some ups and downs all through our season. Clearly, successful the Fee’s Cup [was a high], after which we went to Dallas and misplaced to Dallas. So, it was some highs and lows. We’ve discovered so much and we wish to be a constant group.”
Cheryl Reeve mentioned the the common season was a possibility for the group to develop.
“I don’t know that we’ve any scars. We now have been battle-tested in video games, and have gone by way of adversity within the season.”
Reeve mentioned she seen that when opposing groups went on huge runs, Lynx gamers have been ready to determine the best way to reply.
“I believe we’re terrific at drawback fixing… that’s what I get pleasure from probably the most about this group,” Reeve mentioned. “Their emotional maturity, their skill to take a seat on the bench collectively earlier than the coaches are available and rip them for what simply occurred. They already know what must occur, and you’ll see it on their faces.”
3. Lynx gamers knew it was a particular group from the start
The Lynx added Alanna Smith and Courtney Williams within the offseason, and from the leap, the Cheryl Reeve and gamers have attested the sensation across the group was very totally different.
“There’s all the time a great vibe in coaching camp,” Carleton mentioned. “I believe that’s been properly documented that from day one — all of us bought alongside very well within the locker room, and it translated power on the courtroom.”
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Photograph by David Dow/NBAE through Getty Photos
“And I believe after we received the commissioner cup, it was like, ‘okay, we will actually do some injury. We are able to make a run within the playoffs, we will compete for a championship.’ That’s after we knew we could possibly be actually, actually good. However once more, it clicked early — our chemistry off the courtroom has translated on the courtroom from day one, and it hasn’t wavered, even by way of the highs and the lows.”
Reeve has mentioned a few occasions now that her confidence on this group was instilled on the second day of coaching camp.
“I had these moments the place I seemed round — and I do know final 12 months wasn’t nice by way of a few of the stuff that we have been making an attempt to get finished —however this group, they simply, they simply had a pure instinctive means instantly,” Reeve mentioned. “Actually good individuals, actually get pleasure from one another — all issues which were mentioned.”
5. It is a totally different Liberty group than final 12 months’s
All 12 months, Liberty gamers have mirrored on simply how rather more skilled and related this years’ group was from earlier variations.
“I believe this second feels totally different simply based mostly on the expertise — that a part of it, having this group collectively, and realizing the expansion that we’ve made,” Stewart mentioned.
They’ve additionally added Leonie Fiebich, who supplies them extra taking pictures, size, and flexibility.
“After which on the identical time, it’s like, it is a new 12 months, you realize? We now have that scar and that harm and that reminiscence of what occurred final 12 months, however [it’s an] totally totally different state of affairs, totally different group, and [we’re] gonna be prepared for it,” Stewart mentioned.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello echoed that sentiment.
“That’s a part of the journey, isn’t it? [We have a] scar from final 12 months, however it motivated us to be higher,” Brondello mentioned. “That was only a reminder. It wasn’t who we have been. It was about constructing the chemistry, and having the connections, and persevering with to belief one another and develop, and that’s what we did.”
