WNBA Finals Pocket book: Scheduling points, when the Lynx realized they had been particular, Liberty redemption tour

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 collection’ 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 workforce and final 12 months’s — and what it can take to recover from the hump this 12 months.

Right here’s what we discovered in each workforce’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 Heart.

Early Wednesday night, Bridget Carleton stated that the workforce hadn’t even had an opportunity to go over movie in preparation of the Liberty recreation, although Cheryl Reeve reiterated numerous instances 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 present 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, ?” Stewart stated.

2. The New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx are stylistically comparable

The Liberty-Lynx matchup needs to be enjoyable for numerous causes, and certainly one of them is that each groups are stylistically comparable. That wasn’t the case between the Lynx and the Connecticut Solar — head coach Cheryl Reeve really described the groups as stylistic opposites — and it wasn’t the case between the Las Vegas Aces and Liberty, both.

Picture by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE by way of Getty Photos

“I feel we each play a extremely enjoyable type basketball,” stated Lynx guard Bridget Carleton. “We each rely closely on assists, assisted baskets, sharing the ball. I feel that’s what’s entertaining to observe. I feel that’s why followers have appreciated watching each our groups play this 12 months… we all know one another so properly. Every thing’s going to be tougher within the playoffs.”

2. The Lynx may not 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 in search of 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 workforce. 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 shortage of playoff expertise collectively doesn’t make Minnesota any much less

“All of us, individually, are hungry,” stated 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, profitable 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 quite a bit and we need to be a constant workforce.”

Cheryl Reeve stated the the common season was a chance for the workforce to develop.

“I don’t know that we now have any scars. We have now been battle-tested in video games, and have gone via adversity within the season.”

Reeve stated she observed that when opposing groups went on large runs, Lynx gamers had been ready to determine learn how to reply.

“I feel we’re terrific at drawback fixing… that’s what I take pleasure in probably the most about this workforce,” Reeve stated. “Their emotional maturity, their skill to take a seat on the bench collectively earlier than the coaches are available in and rip them for what simply occurred. They already know what must occur, and you may see it on their faces.”

3. Lynx gamers knew it was a particular workforce 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 workforce was very totally different.

“There’s at all times vibe in coaching camp,” Carleton stated. “I feel that’s been properly documented that from day one — all of us bought alongside very well within the locker room, and it translated vitality on the courtroom.”

Picture by David Dow/NBAE by way of Getty Photos

“And I feel once we received the commissioner cup, it was like, ‘okay, we are able to actually do some injury. We will make a run within the playoffs, we are able to compete for a championship.’ That’s once we knew we may very well 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 via the highs and the lows.”

Reeve has stated a few instances now that her confidence on this group was instilled on the second day of coaching camp.

“I had these moments the place I regarded round — and I do know final 12 months wasn’t nice by way of a few of the stuff that we had been attempting to get performed —however this group, they only, they only had a pure instinctive manner immediately,” Reeve stated. “Actually good folks, actually take pleasure in one another — all issues which have been stated.”

5. This can be a totally different Liberty workforce than final 12 months’s

All 12 months, Liberty gamers have mirrored on simply how far more skilled and related this years’ workforce was from earlier variations.

“I feel 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 stated.

They’ve additionally added Leonie Fiebich, who supplies them extra taking pictures, size, and flexibility.

“After which on the similar time, it’s like, it is a new 12 months, ? We have now that scar and that damage and that reminiscence of what occurred final 12 months, however [it’s an] solely totally different state of affairs, totally different workforce, and [we’re] gonna be prepared for it,” Stewart stated.

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 stated. “That was only a reminder. It wasn’t who we had 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.”