WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship: Lynx vs. Liberty preview

Yahoo Sports WNBA analyst Isis Young and WNBA writer Cassandra Negley discuss the keys to the showdown between Minnesota and New York and which team will take home the in-season title.

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Video Transcript

What’s up everyone?

Ice Young here for Yahoo Sports, joined by the lovely CASS Nagley CASS.

Thanks so much for joining me today.

Excited to chat Commissioners Cup for the W I love the Commissioners Cup.

I love the competition within the season.

Uh This year, the New York Libera there for the second time, they could become the first time winner in back to back years.

And then the Minnesota links who are having a very good season.

I know you’re big on them.

Tell me why you love the links right now.

Yeah, the links look incredible right now, which was a little bit surprising, probably our fault.

We did not put them high on the list just collectively, but Nafisa Collier is playing some of the best basketball of her career.

Definitely MVP level there.

She’s averaging around a double, double, one of the few players to, to do so.

Thus far in the season, of course, Kayla mcbride is shooting the lights out of the ball.

She’s hitting threes from everywhere.

She’s hitting almost 50% from three and she’s making almost four a game.

I mean, that is a lot, they have a lot of three point shooters.

What do you like about the links?

Yeah, I’m just gonna have to say obviously shooting because, you know, I’m privy to shooters knocking down shots.

But the experience experience in the w is what wins.

You have.

Uh Kayla mcbride who is in her 11th season in the W Nafisa Collier, Ala Alana Smith and Bridget Carlton are in their six seasons and then Courtney Williams, the Midrange Bandit knocked down all time is in her ninth season.

So I just felt like that core that they have on the floor.

Most of the majority of the game just have experience, they know how to win, they know how to play together.

And because of the way that you’re shooting that they are shooting the ball movement is electric and so it’s tough for others to defend.

Uh, the Commissioner’s cup is this Tuesday at 8 p.m. in New York who’s gonna win, I’ll go first and take the pressure off.

You ca I actually, I think New York is going to win.

Now New York did lose the first matchup in the regular season.

These two teams played in late May and the links came out on a win.

But the difference there I think is going to be the difference is Jonquil Jones.

JJ only had four points in their first matchup.

She has been playing dominant in the paint for New York as of late.

I think that should be the difference in the X Factor cast.

Who do you got winning the Commissioners Cup this year?

I think I’m also gonna go with the Liberty.

I mean, this is a team that is still very, very hungry.

They’ve talked a lot about feeling that scar of losing in the finals.

They know that hardware is on the line.

And one thing that we haven’t mentioned is there’s a lot of money at stake in this competition.

Uh, they know what that money can do from them from last year.

I think one of the things I’m looking forward to out of the Commissioner’s Cup though is if these teams will make the finals as we’ve seen in years prior with this new format.

Yeah, I love it.

All right.

Well, New York has a chance to be the first team to win back to back Commissioners Cup trophies.

On the other hand, the links can win it for the first time and CASS, and I really care about who’s setting the tone for the rest of the season.

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