The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx are both coming off tough losses earlier in the week. They’ll face off in a nationally-televised game this Saturday afternoon, broadcast on CBS.
The New York Liberty (4-1) host the Minnesota Lynx (2-1) this Saturday, May 25 as part of a five-game slate of WNBA games. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, and the game will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
The Liberty are coming off their first loss of the 2024 season, a 90-81 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Sky. For the first time this season, the Liberty looked flat; though they came back from a 14-point deficit and briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter, Chicago outplayed the reigning WNBA runners-up down the stretch, finishing the game with advantages in paint scoring (46-36), rebounding (38-35) and turnovers (9-14).
Minnesota, too, recently fell for the first time, losing in overtime to the Connecticut Sun. Despite another massive game from Napheesa Collier, the Lynx were unable to hang onto several late leads and ultimately dropped a tough loss on the road to the same team that bounced them from last year’s playoffs.
26.7 PPG. 10.7 REB. 3.7 STL. 50% FG.
pic.twitter.com/dy1UCcyQ6d— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 24, 2024
Both the Liberty and Lynx trying to get back on track adds an interesting angle to Saturday’s game, as does the return of Dorka Juhász, a 2023 All-Rookie honoree, for Minnesota. Juhász had been competing in Italy until earlier this week; she’ll give the Lynx frontcourt a major boost, especially in matching up against Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones.
The Lynx will be missing their other prized second-year player, however. The team announced that Diamond Miller, who was drafted at No. 2 overall in the 2023 WNBA Draft, will be out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury in Minnesota’s loss to Connecticut. It’s the same knee Miller had surgery on last winter; the Lynx will be looking to perimeter players Bridget Carleton and Cecilia Zandalasini to replace Miller’s production on the wing.
New York, meanwhile, has a clean bill of health, but will still need more from a few of its best players than it got against Chicago. Jones, in particular, was limited by foul trouble, totaling just eight points and four rebounds, while the Liberty’s backcourt of Sabrina Ionescu and Courtney Vandersloot was soundly outplayed by the Sky’s Marina Mabrey (game-high 21 points and seven assists).
Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
It’s still early in the season, but this isn’t a game either New York or Minnesota is going to look past. The Liberty are commonly regarded as one of the top teams in the WNBA, and the way the Lynx have been playing suggests they’ll be in contention for a top playoff seed, too. Saturday’s matchup is the first between two teams that expect to be in the thick of things when the postseason rolls around, so the national audience should see a tightly-contested game.
Can the Sky keep their momentum against the undefeated Sun?
Photo by Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The young Sky seem to be improving rapidly, with early-season wins over the Liberty and Dallas Wings under their belts, and they’ll now play at home for the first time this season as they take on the Sun. Connecticut presents quite a challenge for Chicago, having gone 3-1 against the Sky last season and outscoring them by 9.6 points per 100 possessions, and the Sun are the only remaining team in the WNBA with an undefeated record in 2024, so it’s safe to say that the Sky will have their work cut out for them.
Chicago has been running a shorter rotation than head coach Teresa Weatherspoon may like, with rookie center Kamilla Cardoso (shoulder) and veteran forward Isabelle Harrison (knee) yet to suit up this season and guard Diamond DeShields (foot) in and out of the lineup. The Sky have been able to manage in the frontcourt; Angel Reese and Elizabeth Williams currently rank first and second in the WNBA in offensive rebounds per game at 5.0 and 4.7, respectively, while Williams is adding 2.7 steals and 2.0 blocks. They’ll have a lot on their plate with Sun forwards Alyssa Thomas and Brionna Jones, however, who make up perhaps the most physical starting frontcourt in the WNBA. Whichever team controls the paint and the boards should be in good shape for this one.
Game information
New York Liberty (4-1) vs. Minnesota Lynx (2-1)
When: Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. ET
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
How to watch: CBS
Liberty injury report: None
Lynx injury report: Diamond Miller (out; knee)
Connecticut Sun (4-0) vs. Chicago Sky (2-1)
When: Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL
How to watch: CBS Sports Network, Marquee Sports Network, NBC Sports Boston
Sun injury report: None
Sky injury report: Diamond DeShields (questionable; foot), Isabelle Harrison (questionable; knee), Kamilla Cardoso (out; shoulder)
Indiana Fever (0-5) vs. Las Vegas Aces (2-1)
When: Saturday, May 25 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, NV
How to watch: NBA TV, WNBA League Pass, Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network, WTHR Channel 13
Fever injury report: Damiris Dantas (out; knee)
Aces injury report: Kierstan Bell (out; leg)
Washington Mystics (0-5) vs. Seattle Storm (2-3)
When: Saturday, May 25 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA
How to watch: WNBA League Pass, FOX 13+, Amazon Prime Video (Seattle), MNMT
Mystics injury report: Brittney Sykes (out; ankle), Shakira Austin (out; personal)
Storm injury report: None
Dallas Wings (1-2) vs. Phoenix Mercury (3-1)
When: Saturday, May 25 at 10 p.m. ET
Where: Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ
How to watch: WNBA League Pass, Arizona’s Family 3TV, Bally Sports SW
Wings injury report: Satou Sabally (out; shoulder), Natasha Howard (out; foot)
Mercury injury report: Sug Sutton (questionable; elbow), Brittney Griner (out; foot)
