4 keys to victory for Lynx, Liberty ahead of WNBA Finals Game 3

MINNEAPOLIS — A back-and-forth WNBA Finals heads to Minnesota on Wednesday, with Game 3 slated between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx. The Lynx jumped out to a stunning 1-0 lead thanks to heroics from Courtney Williams and Napheesa Collier, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton enjoyed her best game of the postseason in helping the Liberty tie the series. Now, the two teams who have dominated the WNBA all season square off in a pivotal Game 3.

1. Not falling behind early: The fact that the Lynx have trailed by 17+ points in both games is a concern for Minnesota. Though the Lynx were able to pull out game one, they’ve only led for a couple of minutes this entire series, and they’ll want to avoid an early deficit for the third consecutive game. In both games so far, it seemed that the Liberty came out with more poise and energy.

Cheryl Reeve made clear her displeasure with the Lynx’s slow start in her Game 2 postgame interview: “I’m more than disappointed, I’m pissed.” Playing in front of their home crowd, a better start has to be a point of emphasis.

2. More shots for Napheesa Collier: Through two games, the MVP runner-up has averaged 18.5 points on 60.7% shooting. That’s super efficient — in contrast, Breanna Stewart is averaging 19.5 points on 33.3% shooting. But, Collier was relatively quiet in Game 2, scoring just 16 points, her second-lowest output of the postseason. She’s shown that a shot attempt for her is the best bet Minnesota has at a basket, but she’ll have to up the aggression in Game 3.

3. Taking care of the ball: In Game 2, the Lynx turned the ball over 20 times, leading to 26 Liberty points. That was a big part of why Sabrina Ionescu got off to a hot start (12 first quarter points) — once the Lynx were able to force the Liberty into a halfcourt offense, Ionescu was contained. Breanna Stewart broke a WNBA Finals single-game record for steals, racking up 7 in the game, and Minnesota will have to make better decisions when facing defensive pressure. Collier (7 turnovers) and Courtney Williams (5 turnovers) were most culpable here on Sunday.

4. Getting Bridget Carleton going: Napheesa Collier, Courtney Williams, Kayla McBride, and Alanna Smith have all had big moments so far in this Finals series. But, Minnesota’s fifth starter has been quiet — Carleton has hit just 5 of her last 25 three-point shots, and is averaging 6.5 points in the Finals. Cheryl Reeve has stated that the Lynx stars need some help, and Game 3 could be a perfect opportunities for Carleton to break out in front of her home crowd at Target Center.

1. Containing Courtney Williams: Napheesa Collier is the Lynx’s MVP candidate, but it’s Courtney Williams who oftentimes serves as the head of the snake. She posted 24 points in the Lynx’s Game 5 victory over the Connecticut Sun, and followed that up with another 24-point effort in Game 1 of the Finals — both critical wins.

Williams has scored under 16 points three times since the first round of the playoffs, and those showings coincide with the Lynx’s only three losses of the postseason. Leonie Fiebich’s length and defensive pressure seemed to bother Williams in Game 2, and maintaining that level of defensive emphasis on Minnesota’s lead guard will prove impactful.

2. Continued efficient three-point shooting: New York shot 11-24 from three in Game 2 (45.8%) led by Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who hit 4 of 6 attempts. Laney-Hamilton probably won’t exactly replicate her Game 2 masterpiece, but between Stewart, Fiebich, Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, the Liberty have plenty of outside threats. Getting up a good amount of clean looks from beyond the arc will be key in a pivotal Game 3.

3. Better efficiency (and shot attempts) for Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu: Through two games, Stewart is shooting 33.3% and Ionescu is shooting 37.1%. That hasn’t been particularly detrimental so far, but the Liberty have the depth to prevent either one from having to take low-efficiency shots.

Ionescu shot herself out of Game 1 — hitting just 8 of 26 field goals — and the resurgence of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton served as a reminder that there’s enough weapons on this Liberty team that neither Liberty superstar needs to force things. Ionescu took just 9 shots in Game 2, and New York had a much better offensive showing.

4. More post touches for Jonquel Jones: Jones is averaging 19 points on 55.6% shooting these Finals, and while Alanna Smith has done a great job containing her, the Liberty could also make a more concerted effort to get her the ball. Jones had 10 first-quarter points in Game 1, and oftentimes serves as a mismatch when there’s a deliberate effort to get her going offensively.