WNBA Finals game today: What to know for Lynx vs. Liberty on Thursday

The 2024 WNBA Finals are here, with the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx squaring off as Thursday's Game 1 pairs the two best teams in the league this year in a best-of-five series.

For the top-seeded Liberty, this season has been what the franchise had in mind as it assembled a super team heading into 2023. With Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu lighting up the scoreboard and Jonquel Jones dominating in the paint, the Liberty posted a 32-8 regular-season record. New York hasn't slowed down in the playoffs, punctuating just how good they can be by holding the defending champion Las Vegas Aces to a season-low 62 points in Game 4 of the semifinal round.

However, much of the same can be said about Minnesota. The Lynx went 30-10 in the regular season and knocked off the Liberty in the 2024 WNBA Commissioner's Cup final in June. Forward Napheesa Collier has had an incredible season, posting top-10 numbers in points, steals, rebounds, and blocks. The high-scoring Lynx have also been a nightmare to slow down thanks in part to a backcourt featuring sharpshooter Kayla McBride and assist machine Courtney Williams .

Here's what to know as the 2024 WNBA Finals get underway Thursday:

No. 2 Minnesota Lynx at No. 1 New York Liberty

• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
• Streaming: ESPN+ , Fubo
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Series standings: 0-0

Watch the WNBA Finals with a Fubo subscription

How did they get here? The Liberty stormed through the regular season, posting an .800 winning percentage. That has carried on in the playoffs, where they swept the Atlanta Dream before dismissing the Aces in four. Minnesota, meanwhile, finished 30-10 in the regular season, then swept the Phoenix Mercury in the first round. The semifinals were more of a challenge, as the Lynx lost Game 1 before coming back to beat the Connecticut Sun in five games.

What's on the line? The importance of winning game one in any playoff series is clear, but it's been especially important in the WNBA. Since the league instituted the current best-of-five format back in 2005, the team that starts the series off with a win has gone on to claim the title 15 of a possible 19 times.

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: WNBA Finals game today: What to know for Lynx vs. Liberty on Thursday