The long wait for the first meeting this season of the 2024 WNBA Finals teams ended Wednesday with a 100-93 victory by the Minnesota Lynx over the New York Liberty. The first-place Lynx are now 23-5, gaining more ground in the standings on a night when the second-place Liberty (17-9) and third-place Phoenix Mercury (16-10) lost.
The Target Center crowd of 10,824 was energized throughout, and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said it reminded her of Games 3 and 4 of the Finals last year in Minneapolis.
"Exactly what you'd expect, regardless of who was playing for them, regardless of how far into the season it was," Reeve said, an acknowledgment that two-time league MVP Breanna Stewart of the Liberty was out injured.