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Cheryl Reeve cites 2004 Pistons as blueprint for Lynx's competitive spirit ahead of WNBA finals
The Minnesota Lynx are channeling inspiration from one of the grittiest NBA teams in history as they gear up for the WNBA Finals against the New York Liberty. According to Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota is drawing parallels to the 2004 Detroit Pistons, who famously upset the Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal-led LA Lakers in the NBA Finals.
The Lynx secured their spot in the WNBA Finals for the first time since 2017, after defeating the Connecticut Sun in a decisive Game 5, 88-77.
Ahead of the Finals, Reeve compared the Lynx to the 2004 Pistons, stating that while they may not be a "superteam," they can compete with the best, much like that underdog Pistons squad.
"When the New York Liberty and the Vegas Aces sort of swallowed up the top talent … you could either go, 'Okay, it's not gonna be our time for a while. We'll just wait.' Or you can say 'we're gonna find a different way,'” she said (as per Alexa Philippou).
“And as Becky [Hammon] called us, good players, but a great team. So there's more than one way. 2004 Pistons comes to mind … There's more than one way to do this. And so a superteam we are not, but we're a darn good basketball team."
The 2004 Pistons, led by Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace, went 54-28 in the regular season. After acquiring All-Star forward Rasheed Wallace midseason, they won 16 of their last 19 games.
In the playoffs, they knocked out the Milwaukee Bucks and New Jersey Nets before stunning the top-seeded Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the NBA Finals, the Pistons pulled off one of the biggest upsets in history by defeating the heavily favored Lakers in five games, securing their third championship. Chauncey Billups was named Finals MVP.
The Lynx will face the top-seeded Liberty in the Finals
The Minnesota Lynx will face the New York Liberty, who had the league's best regular-season record (32-8) and eliminated the defending champion Las Vegas Aces in the semifinals. The Lynx finished with a 30-10 slate and were the No. 2 team heading into the playoffs, where they defeated the Phoenix Mercury and the Sun.
The Lynx held a winning record against the Liberty during the regular season, winning two of their three matchups.
In their first meeting in May, the Lynx won by 17 points, while the second was a nine-point victory for New York.
In their most recent clash in September, Minnesota came out on top, 88-79.
Against the Liberty this season, Defensive Player of the Year Napheesa Collier averaged 16.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
The Liberty are led by Breanna Stewart, who is posting averages of 20.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists this postseason, alongside Sabrina Ionescu, who is contributing 20.7 points, 5.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds.
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