THE 2024 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) Finals are in full swing at the moment, the New York Liberty are in the box seat after taking a 2-1 lead over the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday.

The two best teams of the season are currently locking horns in a best-of-five series that has had plenty of twists and turns over the first three games.

Proceedings kicked off last week, with the Lynx claiming game one in overtime by two points in thrilling fashion, with the ending to the clash making headlines around the world. Sharpshooting forward Napheesa Collier was the hero after knocking down a four-point play with just seconds remaining on the clock.

The result would not have been possible without the efforts of Aussie frontcourt gun Alanna Smith, who has been a solid presence for Minnesota in the starting lineup. She pulled down the offensive rebound and passed to Collier on the perimeter, in a play that will go down in WNBA history.

The Liberty bounced back emphatically in the second match, recording a 14-point win on Monday to tie up the series at one win apiece. New York star Breanna Stewart led from the front with 21 points, eight rebounds and five assists, helping lead her team to a vital result in the context of the series.

The action continued to entertain earlier today, when the Liberty got the job done down the stretch in a contrast of game one. The Liberty trailed by as much as 15 points against Minnesota, but erased the deficit to tie up proceedings late in the fourth quarter.

New York needed a hero, and it was Sabrina Ionescu that answered the call, knocking down a deep triple to give her side the lead late, with the Liberty holding on to claim an impressive three-point victory and take the series lead. It means Opals coach Sandy Brondello is one step closer to becoming a WNBA championship-winning head coach.

Stewart was also vital in this result too, posting a whopping 30 points to make herself a clear favourite for the WNBA Finals MVP award if the Liberty go on to finish the job.

The action will continue on Saturday morning at 11:00am AEDT as the Lynx look to keep their season alive, while New York will be eager to put on the finishing touches.

2024 WNBA Finals

New York Liberty (93) def. by Minnesota Lynx (95)
New York Liberty (80) def. Minnesota Lynx (66)
Minnesota Lynx (77) def. by New York Liberty (80)