As the Minnesota Lynx secured their trip to the WNBA Finals, they received news from the league about their NBA counterpart, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Howard Megdal of TheNextHoops reported this.

“League source tells TheNextHoops that the scheduled Friday, October 18 preseason game for the Minnesota Timberwolves is being rescheduled to accommodate Game 4 of the WNBA Finals for the Minnesota Lynx.”

While the Timberwolves are in the preseason, the Lynx haven't made the Finals since 2017. They ultimately won against the Los Angeles Sparks, who won the year prior in another five-game series. After seven years, the Lynx are ultimately back in the race for another championship under head coach Cheryl Reeve.

The rescheduling comes as a bit of a surprise considering the WNBA Finals begins on Thursday, October 10. Regardless, the Oct. 18 game is the last for both the Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Both teams have scheduled openings on Thursday, Oct. 17, as well as Saturday, Oct. 19.

Minnesota plays the Bulls on Wednesday, Oct. 16, and pushing the preseason contest to Sunday, Oct. 20, would give the Timberwolves only 48 hours before they open the regular season on Tuesday, Oct. 22 against the Lakers in Los Angeles.

Is this the first instance of schedule changes for the Timberwolves and the Lynx?

Timberwolves preseason game is rescheduled for the Lynx WNBA Finals Game 4
© Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
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For the WNBA, this isn't a first for scheduling changes. After all, the Phoenix Mercury had to play away from their home arena in the playoffs due to the Disney on Ice event taking precedence. Usually, the WNBA has a shorter season and plays roughly 30-35 games. The league has had two consecutive 40-game seasons, extending playing time into October.

The overlap of schedules is something the NBA has had to deal with in recent memory. However, both the Timberwolves and Lynx are owned by the same ownership group. Because of this, they might be more willing to accommodate for an instance like the Lynx making the WNBA Finals.

In 2021, the Mercury gave a similar treatment to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns’ preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers tipped off five hours earlier than the estimated time due to the Mercury WNBA Finals game. Despite the moves, both NBA franchises have continually supported the success of their WNBA counterparts.

As the Lynx aim for a fifth WNBA title, the city of Minnesota is on Cloud Nine. The success of the Lynx, Timberwolves, as well as the Minnesota Vikings have cultivated the city into a legitimate sports hub. While the Timberwolves are getting the boot from the Lynx for the WNBA Finals, they have a chance to watch the WNBA affiliate reach its fifth title, the most in league history.