The Minnesota Lynx are heading to the WNBA Finals to face the New York Liberty after defeating the Connecticut Sun in Game 5. The Lynx will be making their first Finals appearance since 2017, where they went on a run to win four championships from 2011 to 2017.

Napheesa Collier, who has been the star for the Lynx all season, came to play and finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks. Collier has been putting up big numbers throughout the postseason, and to get to this point feels amazing for her.

“The fact that we have worked so hard and we genuinely just like each other so much, it just makes it all sweeter,” Collier said. “It makes you want to win for them, too. It's not just like you want to get the accolade of winning a championship. You want to do it for your teammates as well. I think that makes the ride so much sweeter. We want to keep playing because we want to stay together.

“It is really gratifying to be here, but we have a lot of work to do yet. It feels good. I think we're enjoying the ride. I mean, it'd be nice to close [the WNBA Finals] out in three [games] and not have to go to five to stay together.”

Lynx to face Liberty in WNBA Finals

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The Lynx were on a mission against the Sun in Game 5 to close out the game and head to the next round. They came out hot, grabbing an 11-point lead late in the first quarter. By halftime, the Sun were down 19 points and had given up 53 points, which were both season highs for a defense that was ranked No. 1 in the league this season.

“I can't even tell you what happened,” DeWanna Bonner said. “I think they just kind of punched us in the face and we got shell-shocked. We couldn't fight back.”

The Lynx will now face the Liberty, who has been playing some of the best basketball in the league this year. In four games this season, the Lynx are 3-1 against the Liberty, so they already have some experience defeating them. If they can take that game plan into the Finals, it may give them an advantage, but the Liberty know how to make adjustments quickly. It will be a good battle between Collier and Breanna Stewart, as both have been on top of their game this season.