What to watch for in Lynx-Liberty WNBA Finals Game 5

With nothing decided four games into the 2024 WNBA Finals, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx will play a decisive Game 5 in Brooklyn on Sunday to determine a champion.

The Liberty are searching for their first WNBA title, while a victory would give the Lynx their fifth championship, the most in league history.

Here are three things to watch for in the winner-take-all matchup:

Will Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu rebound from tough Game 4?  

The Liberty shot just 43.7 percent as a team in Game 4. Still, Stewart and Ionescu’s no-show on offense is the biggest reason New York is preparing for a deciding Game 5 instead of planning a championship parade.

Stewart and Ionescu combined for 21 points, shooting a paltry 10-of-36 from the field and 0-of-9 from beyond the arc. Much of the credit goes to the Lynx’s defense, but the duo needs to play better if the Liberty are to avoid coming up short in the Finals for a second straight season.

Coming off a 30-point effort in Game 3, Stewart’s ability to bounce back isn’t in question. However, getting Ionescu more involved may be the difference between winning and losing for the Liberty, as the All-Star guard has seen her point totals drop in every game of the Finals (19, 15, 13, 10), posting 14.2 points per game in the series, well below her season average (18.2).

Officials’ role in Game 5

Both sides have had things to say about officiating during the Finals. Speaking with reporters on Saturday, Liberty HC Sandy Brondello voiced her displeasure over a lack of calls, pleading for the referees to “be fair” after the Lynx shot 20 free throws to New York’s nine in Game 4.

Meanwhile, Brondello used a bit of gamesmanship, arguing that the Lynx received the bulk of the calls after her counterpart, Minnesota HC Cheryl Reeve, made similar complaints earlier in the series. Reeve shot back, saying she never received a response from the WNBA, adding that Napheesa Collier had “things to prove that fouls weren’t called” in the form of bruises and scratches.

Despite Game 4’s disparity, fouls have been relatively even, 58-56 in favor of the Liberty. However, after so much back-and-forth talk, it should be interesting to see how tightly officials call Game 5, especially on New York’s home floor.

Napheesa Collier’s time to shine?

Like Stewart and Ionescu, Collier didn’t light up the stat sheet, notching only 14 points (4-of-10, 2-of-4) while recording zero field goals in the second half of Game 4. The 2024 Defensive Player of the Year has made an immeasurable impact on that end of the floor, especially against two-time MVP Stewart, but Game 5 seems like a spot for her offensive game to shine.

Collier is one of only four players in WNBA history to average 23.9 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in a single postseason, joining Stewart (2022), DeWanna Bonner (2018) and Candace Parker (2012), per Stathead. On Sunday, the 27-year-old needs to show more of that side, as it’s unlikely the Liberty’s shooting will let them down two games in a row, meaning the Lynx will need all the offensive firepower they can muster.

In Game 4, Kayla McBride (19 points), Courtney Williams (15 points), Bridget Carleton (12 points) and Alanna Smith (12 points) all contributed for Minnesota. But, having already recorded the most points scored by a player in a single postseason (263 and counting), it’s time for Collier to take charge and solidify her spot in Finals lore.