After a grueling five-game semifinal series with the Connecticut Sun, the Minnesota Lynx have advanced to the WNBA Finals, where they will face the indomitable New York Liberty.
It’s no secret that New York was hoping to avoid a matchup with the Lynx. Minnesota is the only team to leave a memorable stain on this historic Liberty season, and having punched their ticket to the Finals, they have a chance to do it again. Minnesota is the not just the only team that New York lost their regular season series with—they’re the only team to hand the Liberty multiple losses this season.
The Lynx are a resounding 3-1 against New York this year, including a statement win in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship. Napheesa Collier is Minnesota’s poster child, and rightfully so, but career journeywoman Courtney Williams may be the one who carries the Lynx through the finish line.
Holding Court
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Failing to grow your basketball roots with one team often is looked at in a negative light. Williams has played for five of the 12 WNBA franchises in her nine-year career, with only one stop (Connecticut) longer than two seasons. She may not stick around, but Williams produces. Every. Single. Time. Rarely a No. 1 option, Williams has found a way to average double-digit points in eight-straight seasons.
Williams doesn’t just do the dirty work for Minnesota— she makes it look clean. She’s third on the team in rebounding at only 5-foot-8. Her 36.2 assist percentage (meaning she assists on 36.2 percent of all Minnesota field goals while on the court) is third in the WNBA. She’s averaging the second-most assists of her career (5.5 per game). As unexpected as it was, it’s worth mentioning that Williams was even one of five players to receive a Defensive Player of the Year vote this season.
If there’s a glaring flaw in Williams’ backcourt skillset, it’s her shooting. She’s been a more-than-capable shooter for most of her career, but her 33.3 percent left something to be desired in the regular season. However, through seven playoff games this year, Williams is shooting 72.7 percent (!!!) from beyond the arc on almost two attempts per game. Not a bad time to catch fire.
A match made in Minneapolis
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Last season, the Lynx slumped to a 19-21 record, scavenging into the back end of the playoffs before being sent home by Connecticut. Traces of championship DNA were running thin.
In January of 2024, the Lynx signed Williams to a two-year guaranteed deal. Williams, who led the Sun in playoff points during their 2019 WNBA Finals run, had the experience that Minnesota needed. She had the talent. She had the grit. She had the mentality. The only variable was fit.
If anything could be taken from Williams’ more successful seasons with Jonquel Jones and the Sun, it’s that she knows how to elevate superstar post players. Combined with Collier’s MVP-level exhibitions, the two have raised Minnesotas ceiling towards the Northern Lights. Williams knows how to feed Collier when she’s hungry, and how to carry the load when Collier needs a rest.
If the semifinals made anything clear about Williams’ role on the Lynx, it’s that head coach Cheryl Reeve and her staff want Williams to be herself. They don’t see her as the Robin to Collier’s Batman, they see her as a superhero of her own. Collier’s 27 points provided rough waters for Connecticut in Game 5, but it was Williams’ 24 that sank the ship. After the Lynx punched their ticket to the Finals, Reeve said of Williams:
I don’t know if I knew what we were really getting [with Courtney]. The basketball player, for sure, I watched for years. I had a little bit of interaction when we were at USA Basketball. But I don’t know if I knew exactly what we were getting in terms of the person and the coachability….When she’s aggressive and she playmakes, we have a chance to be in the Finals. We knew that.
With the finish line in sight, Williams has been cast as one of the most important players in this year’s Finals. If she can mirror her semifinal brilliance, Minnesota may put an end to their six-year championship drought.
