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Game 1 of the Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty matchup in the 2024 WNBA Finals is scheduled for Thursday. The Liberty will host the Lynx for the first two games before the series shifts to Minnesota. They are also favored to win their first championship.
The Lynx booked their ticket to their first WNBA Finals since 2017 by outlasting the Connecticut Sun in five games. Napheesa Collier and Courtney Willaims combined for 47 points in Game 5 to beat the Sun 88-77.
The only player remaining from the 2017 team that won a championship is Cecilia Zandalasini, who returned this offseason after a four-year absence.
Meanwhile, the Liberty got their revenge against the Las Vegas Aces by dispatching the back-to-back defending champions in four games. Breanna Stewart was fueled by Becky Hammon’s comments from last year, while Sabrina Ionescu has been on fire since the first round.
Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Preview, Prediction and Odds
The first game of the Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty series is on Thursday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It starts at 8 p.m. EST and will be nationally televised on ESPN. It won’t be available for live streaming on WNBA League Pass, but the game will be on demand after it ends.
Moneyline: Lynx (+210) vs Liberty (-265)
Spread: Lynx +6 (-110) vs Liberty -6 (-110)
Total (O/U): Lynx o159.5 (-110) vs Liberty u159.5 (-110)
Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Preview
The Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty faced each other four times this season, with three coming in the regular season. The Lynx won the season series 2-1, winning the first and third matchups. They also beat the Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Final 94-89 on June 26.
Minnesota dethroned the Liberty as the Cup winners, with Napheesa Collier being named the Commissioner’s Cup MVP. It was a close game, with Bridget Carleton proving to be the difference, scoring 23 points on 8-for-10 shooting. New York’s starters also didn’t get help from their bench, who provided just five points.
Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Predicted Starting Lineups
Lynx
G – Courtney Williams | G – Kayla McBride | F – Bridget Carleton | F – Naphesa Collier | C – Alanna Smith
Liberty
G – Sabrina Ionescu | G – Leonie Fiebich | F – Betnijah Laney-Hamilton | F – Breanna Stewart | C – Jonquel Jones
Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Prediction
The New York Liberty are the favorites to win Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals against the Minnesota Lynx. They are coming off a tougher series against the Las Vegas Aces but made it look easy. Meanwhile, the Lynx barely survived versus the Connecticut Sun, who they were favored to beat.
The game should be close, but the Liberty have only one loss this postseason. Expect New York to get the win and take a 1-0 series lead.
Edited by Bhargav