WNBA: New York Liberty, Minnesota Lynx have totally different Finals histories

Historical past might be made within the 2024 WNBA Finals.

The New York Liberty, one of many WNBA’s unique eight groups, will lastly win its first championship 28 years after competing within the inaugural Finals, the franchise’s first of 5 Finals losses. Or, the Minnesota Lynx will grow to be the primary WNBA group to win 5 championships, including onto the dynastic run when the crew made six Finals, and received 4, from 2011 to 2017.

The Liberty, in brief, are attempting to reverse a historical past stuffed with disappointment, whereas the Lynx are attempting to revive their days of glory. Forward of their 2024 matchup, right here’s a better take a look at the 2 groups’ divergent WNBA Finals histories:

The sixth time’s a attraction?

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1997: Houston Comets over New York Liberty (1-0)

The WNBA’s first Finals was a single-game affair with the Comets, homeowners of a greater regular-season document by one sport, besting the Liberty 65-51 behind 25 factors from Cynthia Cooper. Kym Hampton led the Liberty with a double-double of 13 factors and 13 rebounds.

1999: Houston Comets over New York Liberty (2-1)

The 1999 WNBA Finals produced one of the vital memorable moments within the league’s historical past, when Teresa Weatherspoon sunk a buzzer-beating 50-feet heave in Recreation 2, beautiful the hometown Comets and tying the collection at one sport a bit. The Liberty, nevertheless, would fall quick in Recreation 3. Cooper once more closed out New York, scoring 24 factors whereas no Liberty participant scored greater than 11 within the decisive sport.

2000: Houston Comets over New York Liberty (2-0)

The third time was not a attraction for the Liberty. They as soon as once more skilled what was changing into an all-too-familiar script: the shortcoming to beat the Comets when it mattered most. The tandem of Cooper and Sheryl Swoopes was an excessive amount of for a Liberty crew that was led by Tari Phillips, who averaged a double-double of twenty-two factors and 11 rebounds throughout the 2 video games.

2002: Los Angeles Sparks over New York Liberty (2-0)

A brand new opponent, but the identical story. This time, the Sparks secured back-to-back titles on the Liberty’s expense. Becky Hammon’s 18 factors from off the bench was not sufficient for New York in Recreation 1. In Recreation 2, Nikki Teasley’s 3-pointer with two seconds remaining gave LA the title, as Weatherspoon, unable to conjure the magic of 1999, missed a desperation heave that may have compelled additional time.

2023: Las Vegas Aces over New York Liberty (3-1)

Final yr, after 21 seasons, the Liberty lastly made it again to the Finals. But, their destiny was the identical. Down 0-2 to the Aces, the Liberty not solely received Recreation 3, however, after a number of Finals heartbreaks, the basketball gods appeared to have blessed them with some luck, as Vegas can be with out two starters for the rest of the collection. The fortuitous circumstances as an alternative made their Recreation 4 loss extra dispiriting. 2023 MVP Breanna Stewart struggled by way of the worst playoff efficiency of her profession as A’ja Wilson rose to the event for victorious Vegas.

The drive for 5

Picture by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Photographs

2011: Minnesota Lynx over Atlanta Dream (3-0)

After solely two profitable seasons within the franchise’s first 12, the Lynx vaulted to the highest of league, boosted by the arrivals of Lindsay Whalen and Maya Moore. That pair joined Seimone Augustus and Rebekkah Brunson in powering Minnesota to the franchise’s first title, with Augustus profitable Finals MVP.

2012: Indiana Fever over Minnesota Lynx (3-1)

Once more the league’s finest crew, the Lynx fell sufferer to the need of Tamika Catchings within the Finals. The Fever star averaged greater than 22 factors per sport as she delivered the title to Indiana. In Minnesota’s Recreation 2 victory, each Augustus and Moore shined, combining for 50 factors.

2013: Minnesota Lynx over Atlanta Dream (3-0)

The Lynx’s third-straight journey to the Finals once more ended with a sweep of the Dream. Finals MVP Moore led the harm achieved to her hometown crew, averaging 20 factors per sport as Minnesota received the three video games by a mixed 59 factors.

2015: Minnesota Lynx over Indiana Fever (3-2)

An odd-numbered yr? A Finals win for the Lynx. This time, Minnesota avenged their 2012 loss to Indiana, with Sylvia Fowles, a midseason acquisition, serving because the distinction maker as she received Finals MVP. Fowles averaged 15.6 factors, 9.4 rebounds and a block per sport. After the Lynx dropped Recreation 1, she put up a 21-point and nine-rebound efficiency in Recreation 2. Within the closeout contest, she once more got here up massive, posting a 20-point and 11-rebound double-double. A Recreation 3 buzzer beater from Moore additionally was important to the Lynx profitable their third title.

2016: Los Angeles Sparks over Minnesota Lynx (3-2)

The primary time the 2 groups that outlined the mid-2010s WNBA met on the Finals stage, the Lynx fell to the Sparks in a five-game thriller. Video games 1 and 5 had been determined by down-to-the-wire game-winning pictures, with each going the Sparks’ approach. In Recreation 1, Alana Beard sunk the Lynx with a buzzer beater. In Recreation 5, Nneka Ogwumike netted the game-winning, and title-winning, layup. Candace Parker took Finals MVP honors for the Sparks, whereas Moore led the Lynx with 20.4 factors, 8.0 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals per sport.

2017: Minnesota Lynx over Los Angeles Sparks (3-2)

The Lynx and Sparks reprised their rivalry. When a Chelsea Grey jumper, made with two seconds remaining, gave the Sparks the Recreation 1 win, the Lynx might need feared a replay of 2016. In Recreation 2, all of Minnesota’s starters scored in double figures to squeak out a two-point win and tie the collection. After dropping Recreation 3, Fowles delivered a 22-point and 14-rebound double-double in Recreation 4. In Recreation 5, she was even higher, together with her 17 factors and 20 boards incomes her one other Finals MVP, and giving the Lynx their fourth title.

Previous as prologue?

The Liberty’s 0-5 Finals document may very well be excused by their underdog standing. Of their 5 earlier journeys to the WNBA’s championship stage, they’ve by no means been the favored crew, as their opponents all the time had a superior regular-season document.

In 2024, that excuse is moot. The Liberty are the No. 1 seed, main the league with 32-8 document and 11.7 web ranking. But, New York followers have to be feeling tremors of tension, afraid that some form of championship curse may afflict the franchise. For all of the Liberty’s common season excellence, they might not fairly remedy the Lynx. Not solely did they fall to Minnesota within the Commissioner’s Cup Championship, however went 1-2 in opposition to the No. 2 seed within the common season, outscored by 17 factors throughout the three video games.

Minnesota, in distinction, has nothing to lose. Projected to be a mid-tier crew at finest, they’ve eviscerated expectations. In addition they enter the Finals with a confidence that’s buoyed, fairly than the burdened, by the franchise’s historical past. They usually know that New York is beatable.

The crew’s opposing Finals histories mediate their present-day assembly, the place, whatever the final result, extra historical past might be made.