Forward of the primary Finals rematch of the WNBA season between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx on Wednesday, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve did her finest to make sure the rivalry doesn’t lose any steam. Following follow on Tuesday, Reeve was requested about Emma Meesseman’s choice to hitch the Liberty as a substitute of the Lynx or Phoenix Mercury — the 2 different groups she was contemplating, per ESPN. Reeve was blunt in her evaluation.
“She made the flawed alternative,” Reeve mentioned.
Meesseman, the 2019 Finals MVP with the Washington Mystics, has not performed within the WNBA since 2022. Since then, she has led Belgium to 2 EuroBasket titles, led Fenerbahçe to 2 EuroLeague titles and received three consecutive EuroLeague MVP awards.
Meesseman’s choice to return to the WNBA and be part of the Liberty was a significant coup for the reigning champions, who’re hoping to develop into the fourth crew to repeat. In her most up-to-date WNBA marketing campaign with the Chicago Sky in 2022, Meeseeman averaged 12.4 factors, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals on 57.1% capturing. She’ll be part of Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones in New York to type essentially the most versatile frontcourt within the league.
Emma Meesseman to rejoin WNBA after three-year hiatus, sign with Liberty as they eye another title, per report
Jasmyn Wimbish
The Liberty are nonetheless awaiting Meesseman’s arrival, which is topic to how lengthy it takes for her to get via the visa utility course of. She won’t be in motion on Wednesday, and it is unclear when she’ll make her Liberty debut.
“It is too early to say proper now. We’ll try to do it as rapidly as doable,” Liberty basic supervisor Jonathan Kolb said final week, per The Related Press.
Liberty-Lynx rivalry rising after heated Finals
No matter when Meesseman is cleared to play, her choice to hitch the Liberty as a substitute of the Lynx provides a brand new wrinkle to the budding rivalry.
The extraordinarily aggressive 2024 Finals went the complete 5 video games, and led to controversial trend with the Liberty’s time beyond regulation win in Sport 5. After blowing an early double-digit benefit in that contest, the Lynx went forward with simply over a minute to play on a Napheesa Collier bucket. They have been nonetheless clinging to that two-point lead within the last seconds when Alanna Smith was known as for a foul on Stewart, who made each free throws to ship the sport to time beyond regulation. The Liberty then pulled away within the further body.
Afterward, Reeve mentioned the sport — and the championship — was “stolen” from the Lynx.
“I do know all of the headlines will likely be ‘Reeve Cries Foul.’ Deliver it on, proper. Deliver it on,” Reeve said in a prolonged postgame rant. “As a result of this shit was stolen from us. Deliver it on.”
Just a few days later, Collier mentioned she did not assume she would ever be capable of recover from the loss.
“I believe that loss is one thing I am going to by no means recover from,” Collier mentioned. “To have it finish that means the place it simply feels tremendous unjust, I do not assume that is one thing I am going to be capable of recover from.”
The Lynx have been a crew on a mission this season, and enter Wednesday with a 21-5 document and a four-game lead on the Liberty within the race for the No. 1 total seed. Whereas the Liberty have appeared unimaginable when wholesome, they’ve hardly ever had their full roster collectively because of accidents. Notably, they are going to likely be without Stewart, Nyara Sabally and Kennedy Burke in Minneapolis.
In an odd little bit of scheduling, Wednesday’s assembly would be the first of 4 between the Lynx and Liberty over the subsequent three weeks. At one level in August, the Lynx will play three consecutive video games towards the Liberty. Here is a take a look at the upcoming matchups:
- July 30: Liberty at Lynx, 8 p.m. ET
- Aug. 10: Lynx at Liberty, 12:30 p.m. ET
- Aug. 16: Liberty at Lynx, 2 p.m. ET on CBS
- Aug. 19: Lynx at Liberty, 7 p.m. ET
Whereas the Lynx have a snug lead atop the standings proper now, that would all change a month from now.