The New York Liberty are on the brink of securing their first WNBA championship in franchise history as they lead the best-of-five series 2-1 against the Minnesota Lynx. The Liberty, one of the original WNBA franchises dating back to 1997, have reached the championship round five times before this season but have fallen short each time, including last year.
Game 4 of the Finals is set for Friday night, where the Liberty will have their first opportunity to clinch the title. If the Lynx manage to win on Friday, Game 5 will take place on Sunday night in New York. The Lynx, aiming for their fifth WNBA championship, would make history by becoming the first team to achieve this feat, surpassing Seattle and Houston.
Notably, four teams have successfully rallied from 2-1 deficits to win a WNBA championship, with the Lynx accomplishing this in 2017. In the current series, New York secured the lead with a remarkable 28-foot buzzer-beater shot by Sabrina Ionescu in Game 3.
Looking ahead to Game 4, the Lynx are expected to have forward Alanna Smith in their starting lineup despite her lower back injury sustained in Game 3. Smith participated in the morning shootaround and expressed her determination to play through the pain.
Game 3 witnessed a record Lynx crowd of 19,521 fans, and another large audience is anticipated for Friday night's crucial matchup. The game also drew significant television viewership, with 1.4 million people tuning in, marking it as the most-watched Finals game in over two decades and the highest-rated game ever on a cable network.
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