New York (AP) – The New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx have continued their strong performance from last season, where they reached the WNBA Finals.
Both teams remain undefeated this year, with the Lynx advancing to an impressive 8-0 after they defeated Phoenix during Tuesday’s Commissioner’s Cup match.
Last season, the Liberty and Lynx met in the tournament final, resulting in a Minnesota victory. However, New York claimed redemption by achieving their first WNBA Championship in franchise history.
This marks a notable streak of unbeaten franchises this season, as Minnesota boasts an 8-0 record while New York stands at 7-0. Both the Lynx and the Los Angeles Sparks previously won their first 11 games in 2016.
The Liberty has showcased dominance over their opponents, averaging 91.9 points per game and winning by nearly 23 points on average. This includes a remarkable 48-point victory over Connecticut, which is the second-largest margin in WNBA history.
On the other hand, Minnesota has been successful in tight games. Before an 11-point win against Golden State on Sunday, the Lynx secured their previous four victories by a narrow total of 18 points.
The Lynx and Liberty will have to wait several months to meet in the regular season, with their first of four matchups scheduled for July 30th.
Power Voting Ranking
This week, New York continues to lead in the Power Voting, with Minnesota close behind in second. The national voting panel ranks Phoenix third and Atlanta fourth. My dream team has moved up three positions. Las Vegas, Seattle, and Indiana occupy the next spots, followed by Washington, Golden State, and Chicago. Finally, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Connecticut round out the rankings.
Commissioner Cup
The WNBA will hold its annual seasonal tournament in the upcoming weeks. During this period, each team will compete against others in the league. The West features six games, including the newly added Golden State team, while the East includes five. The teams with the best records will compete in the title game, where the winners will share a $500,000 prize pool and receive $5,000 each in Bitcoin cryptocurrency.
This Week’s Player
Alicia Grey of Atlanta has earned her second Player of the Week honor. The award-winning Dream guard averaged 26.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and four assists in leading Atlanta to victories over Los Angeles and Seattle last week. Other contenders for the honor include A’ja Wilson of Las Vegas, Napheesa Collier of Minnesota, and Sabrina Ionescu of New York.
This Week’s Game
On Saturday, Indiana will face Chicago. Kate Linklark may still miss the game due to quad tensions as the two teams clash again. This matchup will be broadcast on CBS during Primetime, marking a first in WNBA history.
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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball
Source: apnews.com