In Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, Courtney Williams was the closer for the Minnesota Lynx, captaining their comeback. She not only scored 15 of her 24 points in the fourth quarter and overtime, but also converted the four-play that forced the extra period. She was the ultimate X factor, just as Beckett Harrison predicted before the series.
In Game 2, the New York Liberty’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton fulfilled Zack Ward’s vision, with the second longest-tenured Liberty shaking off the lingering effects of her knee procedure to score a season-high 20 points in a postseason-high 32 minutes of action.
Can Swish Appeal identify who Game 3’s hero will be? It’s probably unwise to press our luck, but between these two Finalists, there’s too many players with the potential for series-shifting impact.
Of course, we know Napheesa Collier, who is leading the playoffs in total points, rebounds, steals and blocks, will be special. As will Breanna Stewart, who shook off her fumbles from down the stretch of Game 1 to deliver a little bit of everything in Game 2, including a Finals-record seven steals. But which role players, like Williams and Laney-Hamilton, will make the plays that support their superstars and put their team over the top? How about Leonie Fiebich and Kayla…
