The New York Liberty will come to Minneapolis looking to bounce back from their first defeat at the hands of the Chicago Sky. The Minnesota Lynx return home to Target Center looking to bounce back from their first defeat at the hands of the Connecticut Sun. The Liberty lost at home, and the Lynx lost on the road. I’ve always thought home-court advantage is mostly a myth, but occasionally, the crowd can provide the impetus for the home team, particularly in a bounce-back situation.
Except for the blowout win against Indiana, the Liberty have had their share of difficult moments in their first four games. There has been less than stellar production from the bench and some inconsistency from the starters. Admittedly I have not watched a lot of the Liberty’s games, but what I have seen gives me the impression that something is missing. I have thought, “Why don’t they look like they’re having any fun?”
Minnesota Lynx Facing a Star-Studded Team in the Liberty
Given the caliber of talent, it is puzzling. Perhaps the sobriquet of “super team,” a term of which I am not particularly fond, and which I hope does not become a permanent part of WNBA nomenclature, was short-lived. Perhaps it was a silent burden. We’ll never know. I am eager to see how this collection of high-profile stalwarts and young talent work their way through defeat and attempt to get back in the winning column. Against the Lynx, it is certainly not a given.
The Minnesota Lynx, in their first three games, have shown a new and revitalized sense of urgency and determination after two previous less-than-acceptable seasons. Led by Napheesa Collier who, at this early stage, must be in the POY conversation, and an exciting cast of newcomers, the 2024 version of the Lynx possesses more firepower and much more chemistry, but still too many turnovers.
Saturday afternoon hoops. let's get it.
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 25, 2024
Lynx vs Liberty
12:00pm CT, @TargetCenterMN
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Their recent loss to Connecticut, their second overtime game in a row, was a game of details. While the turnovers decreased from the second Seattle game, there were still too many. Even if points scored off of Connecticut’s turnovers were substantial, that doesn’t make it a positive. There were too many fouls, some questionable on both sides and so it becomes imperative to keep in mind that the refereeing is at best mercurial. The solution? No foolish fouls.
Final Thoughts
The absence of Diamond Miller, out with a knee injury for the foreseeable future, will certainly be a blow for the Lynx. However, the return of Dorka Juhász is timely, and will certainly contribute to an inside presence. Juhász is coming off of an impressive season in Europe, and we can hope that the momentum keeps up.
With the Lynx roster now set, they will be able to more clearly define roles on the team which will hopefully lead to more consistency. As for the Liberty, who are also in need of that same consistency, perhaps they will figure it out and start having some fun. Just not quite yet on Saturday.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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