After meeting in last year’s WNBA final, Minnesota Links And New York Liberty The 2025 season did not play again for 2 EveloN months. Now he has played four games in a span of three weeks-wrapping his regular season series on Tuesday with a 85-75 Liberty win after winning three links. What did we learn from this Marki matchup?
New York coach Sandy Brondelo said on Tuesday that she was not thinking too much about the playoffs or would have to face Minnesota again in Postsen. But he added the links of the first place, “You play them until the end of the year, I think it helps.”
Liberty (22–13) still has nine games left in the regular season and trying to secure the finish of each other behind 28-6 links, which have been parked above the standing for most of the season.
“Finally it is good to win against him; Playoff is another story,” Bondelo said. “I am glad that we are making them past now. We are focusing on the next nine matches. All this is focusing on us and getting as much as possible in standing.”
Although many people may have preferred to spread the series during the regular season, the fact that their four games were played so close together and close to Postsen we have an idea of how Minnesota-Nu York Shodown could look. This also allows us to see where these teams are standing with the playoffs – which are open on September 14 – less than four weeks.
Zoncl Jones The final looked like MVP
For all New York talents, the 6 -foot -6 Jones is the team’s biggest matchup benefit against an underscreased Minnesota Frontcourt. Jones scored 17.8 points on 56% shooting in the last year’s final, earning the series MVP honor.
Although Jones were equally efficient against Links through the first three matchups, shooting 64% from the ground – the best against any opponent he has faced more than one more than one – he does not match his average from the 2024 finals yet, topping on 17 points on Saturday.
It changed on Tuesday, when Jones scored a game-high 22 points on 7 -10 shooting, as well as 10 rebounds for their 100th career WNBA double-dabble. According to ESPN research, he is the seventh player to reach the mark, who notes that Liberty Jones’s regular-seasage double-dabbles (32–0) are unbeaten at all times (32–0).
Appreciating, Jones did most of his scoring damage on the perimeter. Five of his seven fields came out of goal paint, including a trio of 3-pointers. But Jones’ eight defensive rebels helped New York play relatively on glass, which was an advantage for Minnesota in the first three matches. , Kevin Pelton
Freedom should be aggressive aggressive
In a win of 86–80 links on Saturday in Minnesota, the Liberty line was limited to 5 to 8 shooting, while the links were 2333. Liberty did not spend much time talking about crime after the game, but it clearly harassed them.
“It is difficult to win eight free throw shooting games in this league,” said INESCU. “I would say that we only control things that we could and did not really focus on things outside our control, as we do not have and we did not find free throw.”
They were still not injured Breena stewart On Tuesday, but things were also more on the foul line. There were 14 -18 in Liberty, while links were 11 -14.
Asked what Liberty improved on Tuesday, IonESCU said, “I think we were just attacking. We were super decisive on what we were doing before catching the ball. In some other sports, we were trying to take decisions after holding the ball, and thus stopped our crime. Tonight you saw a team that really hurry, really hurry, hurry,” , Michael Voepel
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Links took Liberty below 86-80
Links grabbed Liberty 86-80 in the WNBA final.
This is a rivalry – and we will be lucky to bring it to the playoffs
These days there is a lot of rivalry in WNBA, but Tuesday’s game again confirmed what we have developed since the 2024 final and their controversial end: New York vs. Minnesota Is In fact, a rivalry, even if something drops down.
Discussion began early this week, when recently on a studbudz stream, Curtney Williams Called Liberty a “Punk Ass” team. Addressing the comment with local reporters this week, Brondelo said, “Of course we have rivalry … yes, we don’t like each other, how it is just.”
When Liberty Beat Out Linux in Emma miseman Sweepstake, it only added fuel to the fire. (Cheryl Rev said that the Belgian star “made a wrong choice.”) When asked about that dynamic, Brondelo quipped, “finish it.”
It may be partly a result of freedom that did not want to flow in a regular-season chain, but on Tuesday a playoff was realized. Cement that aura? With 33.8 seconds, with the ridiculous Char-Bind Khanjar of IenESCU, a moment that would have made links ill with the memory of his prestigious shot in Game 3 of the last year’s final. When asked about playing in court after the final bajar, Eansku smiled and replied, “Night, night.”
One thing is clear: A Liberty-Linux Remach in the 2025 playoff will provide excellent basketball and healthy levels of drama and spices. , Alexa Philipou
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Sabarina Inescu ignite the house crowd with late and 1 tray
Sabrina INESCU buries a 3-population and makes Liberty a dishonesty to give some major insurance late.
We still don’t have the whole picture
These links-liberty matches did not enough to promote the initial season due to star power from the court: Stewart (Bone brruz) Remembering all four meetings, while Nefeesa colir ,ankle) It was sidelined for all.
For Liberty, Stewart has yet to play Mesman to play with Midson, and his frontcourt has been terminated with last month Kennedy Burke, Nyara Sabli And Isabel Harrison All missing time. While Links has not experienced the same injury bug, recently in addition Dijonai Carrington Still play with colliers.
The biggest question is whether Liberty can be healthy and can keep it together on time to repeat it – and close the best team in the league. The good news is that Stewart is expecting the August 27 birthday or at least to return to the end of the month. It will not be easy to revive players in the mixture as Micemen continues for new colleagues and a new system, but we have seen what New York looks with full force: it is undefined (9–0) when Ioncu, Stewart and Jones play full games. Time will tell whether freedom can return to that form. , Philippu
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The 30 -points of the coliere leads links in the past of Liberty.
Nefeesa Kolier gave a major performance to prevent New York’s return and secure victory for Minnesota.
Links showed no significant weaknesses to attack
It is difficult to see the penis losing the playoff chain. Minnesota has not lost a back-to-back game in 2025. Links won three games against New York before seven, 12 and six points, and this disadvantage is not going to reduce their confidence. Tuesday’s game had more impact for New York than Minnesota. He said, Links and Reeve are trying to fulfill whatever they do, while the colir is out.
Links have not been complicated as the standing is so ahead. Reev talked about on Saturday about how Minnesota-New York rivalry this season and last reminds him what Links experienced in 2016 and 2017. Los angeles sparks,
Links finished first in a regular session at Sparks in both years, but Los Angeles won the WNBA final in 2016 and a strong in Minnesota 2017. The distance was covered in both series. Reev said that she was remembering the equality with Lindsay Velalan, assistant coach of Point Guard of Minnesota for her four titles.
“I was missing how tired it is to play each other,” Reeve said. “But at the same time, it is fun. It is incredible. It is what you do [this] For. It brings the best in you and the best at the same time. So it is very tiring, because there is so much talent on both sides. , Vopel
