Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty meet three times in nine days in a rare WNBA scheduling quirk. Injuries and rivalry fuel playoff-like intensity early in 2025. (Image Source: AP)
The Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty are locked in a rare scheduling quirk that has them meeting three times in just nine days, turning regular-season games into something resembling a playoff series. After the Lynx’s 83-71 win over New York on Sunday, both teams prepare for back-to-back showdowns that promise intense competition and growing familiarity.
Minnesota guard Kayla McBride called it “a weird schedule,” but one that gives both teams a unique opportunity. “You get to know a team and what they like to do,” McBride said.
The Lynx enjoyed a short break before hosting New York again on Saturday and then hitting the road to the Liberty’s home court on August 19. For Minnesota, the schedule offers a chance to build on momentum and refine strategies against a familiar opponent.
New York, however, won’t get that luxury. The Liberty are forced into a grueling stretch with back-to-back games in Los Angeles and Las Vegas before heading to Minnesota for the Saturday matchup and then returning home for the next game. “It would have been nice to have it be spread out a little bit,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s a series with a few extra games for us, not for them.”
The two teams will meet four times within three weeks, but both are battling key absences. New York star Breanna Stewart is expected to miss the stretch recovering from a bone bruise in her right knee. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier, a front-runner for the MVP award, sat out Sunday’s game with a sprained ankle and may miss the upcoming matchups as well.
Stewart voiced her frustration with the timing of injuries. “You want to see everybody full throttle. That’s the first game of the season or the second or the third, not August,” she said.
The unpredictable injuries add another layer of drama and uncertainty to this already intense rivalry.
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Minnesota currently boasts the best record in the WNBA at 27-5, sitting comfortably ahead of New York by six and a half games.
The tone for what may be a pivotal stretch in the Lynx's pursuit of postseason supremacy has been established by their triumph on Sunday and their early-season victory on July 30.
For New York, every game in this unusual cluster feels like a must-win, a chance to close the gap on the conference leaders.
The combination of repeated matchups, injuries to star players, and the pressure of standings has transformed these regular-season games into a high-stakes battle.
Fans and players alike are treating each contest like a playoff game, where adjustments and mental toughness become as important as skill on the court.
