Panini Previews the Must-Watch 2024 WNBA Finals

October 10, 2024

Written by: Isaiah Lucas

The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx meet in the 2024 WNBA Finals to put a bow on an exciting season of basketball. This battle between the top two seeds in the postseason bracket should be an absolute thriller.

Both franchises have tremendous historical relevance to the WNBA Finals, as the Liberty appeared in the first-ever championship series in 1997 and made four more appearances by 2003. The franchise is still searching for its first ring, however, and looking for vengeance after falling to the Aces at the 2023 Finals.

The Lynx have reached the Finals six times and have left victorious four times, tied with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets for the most titles in league history. The Minnesota bunch claimed all of those chips during a Maya Moore-led dynasty from 2011-17.

During the 2024 regular season, the Lynx took home victories in three of the four meetings between the two teams, including a 94-89 win in the Commissioner’s Cup Final in late June — an early sign that Minnesota was a serious contender. 

New York (32-8) finished the campaign with the league’s best record. Then, the squad swept the Atlanta Dream in the first round of the playoffs and took down the defending-champion Aces 3-1.

Minnesota finished 30-10 under Coach of the Year Cheryl Reeve. After besting the Mercury in the opening round, the Lynx needed all five games to down the Sun during the semis.

That set up a box-office matchup that’s headlined by superstar talent. New York’s terrific trio of Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart meets Napheesa Collier and a robust collection of Minny role players.

Collier earned Defensive Player of the Year honors this season and has arguably been the league’s top player in the postseason, averaging 27.1 points and 9.6 rebounds, along with 2.0 blocks.

Ionescu and Stewart have handled the bulk of the Liberty’s scoring load this postseason, averaging 20.7 and 20.0 points respectively. The former is also putting up 5.2 assists while shooting 46.5 percent from downtown. 

We should also note that both teams went 16-4 on their respective home courts during the regular season and have continued doing a great job of taking care of business in front of their fans during the playoffs. The Liberty are 4-0 this postseason while the Lynx are 4-1, meaning stealing a win on the road will be crucial.

As you enjoy the action between two extremely motivated sides in the 2024 WNBA Finals, be on the lookout for Panini Instant cards throughout the series that highlight pristine player performances and all the top moments.

Don’t forget that popcorn, either.

Game 1 tips off in New York on Thursday, October 10th.

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