WNBA Finals rematch takes place in Minnesota

MATCHUP NOTES

The highly anticipated clash from last year's WNBA Championship will occur at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The New York Liberty (17-8) challenges the Minnesota Lynx (22-6) as both squads have recently suffered defeats in their previous match.

The Liberty have faced challenges recently after suffering consecutive losses against Dallas and Los Angeles. On Saturday, New York fell just short to L.A., with a score of 101-99, and then suffered a 10-point loss to the Wings on Monday.

The match in Dallas was not as tight as the ending suggested, with the Wings taking a 63-36 advantage at halftime. The Liberty competed without their second-highest point producer. Breanna Stewart , who was unable to play due to a leg injury.

The Lynx found themselves down by 13 points at halftime in their 90-86 game against Atlanta on Sunday, which ended their four-game win streak. This was also the second time this season that Minnesota has suffered a defeat at home, having previously lost the Commissioner's Cup final to Indiana at Target Center.

HEAD-TO-HEAD MATCHUPS

The Minnesota team won three out of four matchups during the regular season last year, yet the Liberty secured its inaugural WNBA championship by defeating the Lynx in a five-game finals series.

These squads haven't faced each other since New York secured an disputed overtime victory in Game 5 back in October. The Lynx were ahead of the Liberty, 60-58, with just five seconds left in regular time when Stewart took the game-tying attempt.

Officials issued a shooting foul against Minnesota, although upon replay it appeared the defender secured the ball without making contact.

Stewart made both foul shots to send the game into overtime, and New York took control during the additional period to claim victory.

The game on Wednesday will be the initial meeting of the season between these two teams, with many anticipating they could face each other again in October for the WNBA championship.

FIRST QUARTER BETTING TRENDS

After the All-Star game, the Liberty has failed to lead at halftime in three out of their last four matches. Since June 25, the team has struggled with an unfavorable 2-10 performance against the point spread during the initial ten minutes of play.

Minnesota fell behind Atlanta after the first quarter on Sunday. This is significant because the Lynx are 9-1 overall and against the spread when they didn't take the lead during the initial 10 minutes of play.

BETTING PREDICTION

Stewart will miss another game on Wednesday, which undoubtedly hampers the Liberty's chances.

Nevertheless, New York holds significance in this scenario, occupying its most significant underdog position of the season. Last year, the Liberty were favorites in all five games of the WNBA Finals as well as each of the four regular-season encounters.

The Minnesota team has not suffered back-to-back defeats this season, and the storyline of redemption favors the Lynx. However, this presents a chance for New York to strengthen their defensive efforts following two poor showings in losses against Dallas and Los Angeles.

Best Bet: Liberty +7.5 (DraftKings)