The New York Liberty can lock up the top seed in the WNBA playoffs on Sunday afternoon when they host the Minnesota Lynx.
The Liberty (31-6) have a three-game lead on the Lynx (28-9) for the top seed with three games remaining in the WNBA regular season. The Lynx have a one-game lead on the Connecticut Sun for the No. 2 seed.
Minnesota is one of the few WNBA teams to give the Liberty trouble this season. Minnesota handed the Liberty their worst loss of the season, 84-67, on May 25. The Lynx also beat the Liberty 94-89 on June 25 for the Commissioners Cup title, though the Commissioners Cup final doesn’t count in the regular-season standings.
A win by the Lynx would give them the most wins in one season in franchise history dating back to 1999.
Minnesota has won 12 of its last 13 games. Lynx All-Star forward Napheesa Collier is fourth in the WNBA with 20.3 points per game. The Lynx lead the WNBA in assists (23.3 per game), three-point shooting percentage (37.9) and are the best defensive team in the WNBA, allowing opponents to shoot 40.9 percent from the floor.
New York has won five in a row after crushing the Dallas Wings 99-67 on Thursday night. They are led by their Big Three of Breanna Stewart (20.2 points per game), Sabrina Ionescu (19.1) and Jonquel Jones (14.6).
Brondello spent Friday night in Phoenix at the Mercury’s 10th anniversary celebration of their WNBA title in 2014. She was the head coach of the Mercury that year.
