How both WNBA preseason favorites failed to make the Finals

All the talk in the preseason was about how the WNBA Finals in 2025 would be a repeat of last season's series between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx.

Over the first month of the season, that narrative solidified, as both teams looked unbeatable. There was talk about how long both teams could go undefeated. It seemed like we already knew where we were heading.

But things have a funny way of not working out. Injuries hit the Liberty hard down the stretch and the team faded to the No. 5 seed. Minnesota also weathered some issues, but wound up as the No. 1 seed anyway. However, a contentious semifinals series with the Mercury and a poorly timed Napheesa Collier injury sent the Lynx home on Sunday night.

Let's talk about why the inevitable didn't happen.

The Liberty just couldn't overcome the injuries

New York won its first nine games of the 2025 WNBA season, but center Jonquel Jones was injured during the eighth game of that streak, kicking off a series of injuries that derailed New York's season.

Only one Liberty player, Marine Johannes, played in all 44 games. In addition to Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart missed crucial games, which was a big part of why this team slid backwards. When all three players were on the floor, the team had a net rating of +20.6, showcasing just how good the roster was at full strength.

But here's the thing: there was no on/off combo with the three players that had a better net rating. Any time even one of the three was off the floor, New York was worse, and the extended absences were a major part of the team losing as many regular-season games as it did. It also didn't help that Ionescu seemingly took a step back this season, shooting a career-low 29.9 percent from 3-point range. Playing beside a point guard like Natasha Cloud was supposed to help Ionescu's efficiency, but it didn't.

Still, New York had a chance in the playoffs. The team entered Game 1 against the Mercury at full strength, but the team wouldn't end there. In overtime of the Game 1 victory over Phoenix, Stewart suffered a knee sprain.

She'd go on to play in the next two games, but it was clear in Game 2 that Stewart wasn't at full strength, scoring just six points in 20 minutes. She seemed fine for Game 3, scoring 30 points on 8-for-17 shooting, but weird things can happen in must-win elimination games. In this case, it was everyone who wasn't Stewart having a no-show in the fourth quarter as New York was unable to complete the comeback it'd begun mounting in the second quarter.

Minnesota's Game 3 disaster

The Lynx also had regular-season injury issues, which included Napheesa Collier missing 11 games. However, those issues didn't stop the team from winning 34 games and claiming the No. 1 overall seed.

Minnesota also had no issue in the first round, easily sweeping the Valkyries, and then took Game 1 of the semifinals against Phoenix by a convincing 82-69 score. The Lynx lost Game 2 in overtime, but it still seemed like it was probably their series to lose.

And lose they did, with an assist from the referees and a devastating Collier injury.

Game 3 saw a very questionable free-throw disparity, with the Mercury shooting twice as many free throws as the Lynx. That isn't necessarily a sign of bad refereeing, but the fact that Collier didn't have a single trip to the foul line feels iffy, especially with plays like this happening.

Collier ended up with an ankle injury late in the game. Head coach Cheryl Reeve ended up with a one-game suspension after criticizing the refs after the game.

That put Minnesota in a pickle. A must-win Game 4 without your best player and arguably the greatest coach in WNBA history? Minnesota put up a good effort, but not having Collier in the fourth quarter killed the team, as Phoenix outscored it 31-13 in that final frame to eliminate the Lynx.

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