‘Cheryl Reeve Wanted Dallas,’ ‘Thank You for Your Service (Breanna Stewart)’ — Anticipation Mounts As Liberty-Lynx Rematch Reignites WNBA Finals Rivalry

Aliasgar Ayaz Thu, September 24, 2026 at 2:07 PM UTC

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'Cheryl Reeve Wanted Dallas,' 'Thank You for Your Service (Breanna Stewart)' -- Anticipation Mounts As Liberty-Lynx Rematch Reignites WNBA Finals Rivalry

The Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty are set for a first-round playoff rematch of the 2024 WNBA Finals. The matchup has already sparked plenty of excitement, with fans bringing up Cheryl Reeve, Breanna Stewart, and the history between two of the league’s biggest teams.

WNBA Gear Up for Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty in the 2026 Playoffs

Minnesota has already secured the No. 1 seed, while the Liberty locked up the No. 8 seed after Wednesday’s loss to Atlanta. That makes this one of the biggest first-round matchups the league could have produced.

The two teams already have some playoff history. Their most recent meeting came in the 2024 WNBA Finals, when New York won its first championship after a dramatic five-game series.

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The Lynx stole Game 1 in overtime, winning 95-93 after coming back from an 18-point deficit. The Liberty responded by winning Game 2 and Game 3 before Minnesota forced a decisive Game 5 with an 82-80 victory.

Game 5 was another tight battle. The teams were tied at 60 after regulation before New York pulled away in overtime to win 67-62. Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP after averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds during the series.

That series helped turn Lynx-Liberty into one of the WNBA’s most entertaining recent rivalries.

In 2026, New York won two of the three meetings. The Liberty won 99-86 on July 3, Minnesota answered with a 90-85 win on July 11, and New York closed the season series with a 93-81 victory on September 18.

That final meeting also gave New York some confidence heading into the postseason.

Now, fans are already looking ahead to the playoff rematch. One fan suggested Reeve may have preferred Dallas, pointing to the Lynx’s 4-0 regular-season record against the Wings.

“Cheryl Reeve wanted Dallas,” they wrote on X.

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Another fan was already looking ahead to Stewart, who has plenty of history against the Lynx. “Thank you for your service Stewie,” they wrote.

One supporter jokingly warned Reeve about what was coming, writing, “Are you ready to die Cheryl”

Others were simply excited to see the playoffs get underway, with one writing, “Whew this playoffs finna be fun lmao.”

But not everyone was celebrating the matchup from Minnesota’s side. One Lynx fan pointed to New York’s size advantage as a major problem, writing, “Tough first round, Liberty got all that [expletive] size over us.”

The matchup gives Minnesota home-court advantage, but the regular-season results show why this may not be a simple No. 1 vs No. 8 series.

The Liberty has Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones, giving them plenty of playoff experience and size.

Stewart is also coming off a strong FIBA World Cup run with Team USA, where she was named MVP. However, she sat out New York’s regular-season finale against the Dream because of soreness, making her status worth watching ahead of Sunday’s opener.

MORE:‘Made Those Frauds Finish in 5th,’ ‘Shock the World’ – WNBA Fans React As Angel Reese’s Dream Clinch Home-Court Advantage Over Caitlin Clark’s Fever

Minnesota will lean on Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and rookie Olivia Miles, along with its deep rotation, as Cheryl Reeve tries to lead the Lynx back to the Finals.

The first round begins Sunday, September 27. The WNBA’s first-round series are best-of-three, with the higher seed receiving home-court advantage.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”