The New York Liberty are heading to the 2023 WNBA Finals, where they’ll meet the Las Vegas Aces in a matchup many pre-ordained back in the spring. A full season later, and the thought of a five-gamer between the don’t-call-them-superteams hasn’t lost any luster. From the X’s and O’s, to the personalities, to the sheer names, we have every reason to believe these Finals will live up to the hype.
But we can’t overlook how the New York Liberty reached the grand stage for the first time in 2002. They did it by surviving a bare-knuckle brawl with a Connecticut Sun team that entered the decisive Game 4 on Sunday with a clear focus.