Former UConn stars in focus as Lynx, Liberty begin WNBA Finals

The top two seeds entering this year's WNBA playoffs are still standing. Now, they'll go head-to-head for the league title.

Game 1 of the best-of-five WNBA Finals tips off Thursday, when the top-seeded New York Liberty host the second-seeded Minnesota Lynx.

Both teams are powered by former UConn stars who helped the U.S. Olympic team win a gold medal at this summer's Paris Games. Breanna Stewart leads the Liberty, while fellow forward Napheesa Collier steers the Lynx.

Stewart and Collier were teammates on the 2015-16 Huskies team that went 38-0 and won the school's fourth straight national title.

And the two aren't just friends off the court - they're also business partners. Stewart and Collier together founded "Unrivaled" - a 3x3 basketball league that will launch in 2025.

But first, the former teammates and longtime friends will clash for the league crown.

"We've definitely built a bond - or kind of rekindled it since college," Stewart said of her relationship with Collier. "I'm happy to see all the success that she's had on and off the court and know that it's going to be a battle."

Collier, this season's WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and runner-up for league MVP honors, has averaged 27.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game across Minnesota's first seven playoff games. Stewart has posted 20.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in six playoff contests for New York.

This is the second time the Lynx and Liberty are meeting this season with a championship at stake. Minnesota beat New York 94-89 on June 25 to win the WNBA's Commissioner's Cup - the league's in-season tournament with a cash prize for players. Collier racked up 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals to win championship game MVP.

Overall, the Liberty went 1-3 against the Lynx in the regular season, with those three losses coming by an average margin of 10.3 points.

New York enters the Finals on a tear, having won 11 of its last 14 games. The Liberty swept the Atlanta Dream 2-0 in the first round before dispatching the two-time reigning champion Las Vegas Aces 3-1 in the semifinals.

Guard Sabrina Ionescu led New York with 22 points and seven rebounds in the Liberty's series-clinching, 76-62 win at Las Vegas last Sunday.

Minnesota reached the Finals for the seventh time in franchise history by beating the visiting Connecticut Sun 88-77 in a decisive semifinal Game 5 on Tuesday. Collier scored a game-high 27 points and collected 11 rebounds, while becoming the first player in WNBA history to post three straight outings of at least 25 points and 10 rebounds in the playoffs.

Courtney Williams added 24 points for the Lynx.

"From the very beginning, we felt how special this team could be. Coach (Cheryl Reeve) said she felt it from the second day of training camp, and I felt it really early on too," Collier said.

"We understand how special and unique of an opportunity that we have and how rare it is. I definitely don't think we're taking it for granted."

Minnesota is searching for its fifth Finals crown, while New York is looking for its first in its sixth appearance. Should the Lynx win, it would be a record fifth championship for Reeve.

--Field Level Media/Reuters