MINNEAPOLIS — Cheryl Reeve is familiar with what the hours leading up to Sunday night will bring.
The Minnesota Lynx coach has participated in five of the last seven Game 5s in the WNBA Finals. Each of her three assistants was with her for at least one of those contests, too.
What’s ahead of her and her staff when the Lynx and New York Liberty play (at least) 40 more minutes to decide this year’s champion isn’t necessarily a surprise. A grinding, tightly contested affair seems all but guaranteed. Three of the four games in this series have been decided by one possession. The lone exception (Game 2) was a 2-point game with 3 minutes and 40 seconds to play before New York’s lead ballooned to double digits.
Minnesota’s 82-80 Game 4 win Friday night was the series’ closest game from start to finish. It featured 13 ties and 14 lead changes. Neither team led by more than 6 points. The reason?
“I’m going to say probably information gathered in the three games,” Reeve said. “Everything is getting harder. There’s no secrets at this point.”
There are no mysteries, no tricks and no stunners — only a thrilling series that will reach its deserved conclusion when the league’s top two teams tip off one more time at 8 p.m. in Brooklyn. In a historic season for the WNBA, more records seem bound to fall. The series’ first three games all hit TV viewership highs. Both arenas set new WNBA attendance records, and stellar individual performances have been aplenty.
“The players deserve all the credit for the show that we are being treated to,” Reeve said.
19,521 people. Near sellout.
Largest attendance in Lynx franchise history.Everyone Watches Womens Sports 💪 #WNBAFinals @WCCO pic.twitter.com/32ERUzKzty
— Marielle Mohs (@MarielleMohs) October 17, 2024
What will decide the first Game 5 of a WNBA Finals since 2019 remains an open question.
Perhaps a star will bounce back. Look to the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu after both struggled in Game 4, missing nine of their first 10 shots. Or maybe Lynx star Napheesa Collier will cap a three-week span in which she has scored the most points in postseason history with one more showcase performance to help Minnesota become the third straight team to win a title on an opponent’s floor.
New York and Minnesota shot the same percentage from 3-point range Friday (39.1 percent), so Sunday’s victor could be as simple as which team gets hot from deep.
Or will the officiating matter? Reeve used part of her Game 3 press conference to critique the series’ refereeing. Friday was Liberty coach Sandy Brondello’s turn to pipe up.
“I know Cheryl talked about it last time, but we got no calls today,” Brondello said. “So do I need to talk up in a press conference? Because they were getting ticky-tacks. And we went down there and got hit and get nothing. All we want is fair. If we are getting hit, that’s a foul. You know, I’m one of the nicest bloody coaches in this league, but this pisses me off. Just be fair.”
The Liberty took 11 fewer free throws than the Lynx in Game 4, but they had taken eight more free throws heading into Friday night. “I think Phee has some things to prove that the fouls weren’t called,” Reeve said.
Will an unexpected X-factor emerge? Liberty wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was the difference in New York’s Game 2 victory, and Leonie Fiebich has been central to the Liberty’s playoff run. Lynx guard Bridget Carleton, described by Reeve as the “hustle-play player,” hit the game-winning pair of free throws and scored five of her 12 points over the final 3:30 of the contest. And Minnesota reserves Ceci Zandalasini, Natisha Hiedeman and Dorka Juhász were as impactful in Game 4 as they have been all series.
“They were ready,” Reeve said. “It was nice to be able to have players able to sub in and stay out there for extended time.”
But Sunday only one stat will matter.
“One more (point) than the other team,” Ionescu said.
Though disappointed they didn’t close out the finals in Minneapolis, Brondello remained optimistic of New York’s chances as the series flips a final time back to Brooklyn. The Liberty worked all season for what it has in front of them — a deciding game at home — and she knows what to expect.
“It will definitely be another sellout, and it will definitely be loud. And we have to bring our ‘A’ game,” Brondello said. “We’ve got one more game, and we’re going to win on our home court.”
Reeve said she’s relishing the Lynx’s final moments of the season together. “I think that what I’m just thrilled about is that this group gets to experience the Game 5,” said Reeve, who is 3-2 in her prior finals Game 5 appearances. “It’s beyond words how we feel about this team, and we just so wanted them to be in the finals, No. 1, and two, put themselves in a position to win a championship.”
Just four quarters remain.
“It could be anywhere, really,” Lynx All-Star Kayla McBride said. “It doesn’t matter. We are going to be out there together going to war, and I’m pumped.”
So back to the deciding factors. What will be the key?
“Wish I knew,” Reeve said. “I’d either not eat or not sleep, or I’d sleep really good if I knew the difference. It’s two great teams. Who knows?”
(Photo of Courtney Williams: Choua Yang / NBAE via Getty Images)