Game 5 of WNBA Finals Tonight: Starting 5, October 20 - 40 Minutes for the Championship

THE LINEUP

Oct. 20, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?

Final Showdown: A W Finals full of comebacks and classics culminates Sunday

Star Quest: Three superstars have three major milestones in their sights this season

MVP Potential: A trio of young stars could lead the MVP race in 2024-25

Raising 18: Witness an NBA title run through the eyes of the players who lived it

“Who He Play For?” A study guide for Charles Barkley’s favorite trivia challenge

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Inside a journey unlike any other…

‘Raising 18’ — a nine-part all-access docuseries chronicling the Celtics’ historic 2023-24 championship season, from training camp to the trophy celebration — drops this morning, exclusively on the NBA App. Watch the trailer here

1. FINAL SHOWDOWN: HISTORY AWAITS IN DECISIVE GAME 5

In a WNBA season that’s seen the league soar to new heights through record ratings, unprecedented individual numbers and a postseason brimming with drama, it’s only right that the championship will come down to one final game, where one historic ‘first’ will be written.

But which ‘first’ will it be? Will the Liberty earn their first-ever title in front of their home fans, or will the Lynx become the first team in league history to win five championships?

That question will be decided today in Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 5 in Brooklyn, where a Finals full of comebacks and classics culminates (8 ET, ESPN).

In Game 1, Minnesota overcame an 18-point deficit to force overtime, where Napheesa Collier sank a late go-ahead jumper to stamp the win, matching the largest comeback in W Finals historyIn Game 2, the Lynx erased a 17-point gap to pull within two in the 4th quarter, but this time, the Liberty staved off the rally to even the series 1-1In Game 3, New York battled back from 15 points down before Sabrina Ionescu splashed a game-winning 3 from the logo with one second left to stun MinnesotaIn Game 4, the Lynx responded with a last-second win of their own, as Bridget Carleton knocked down the game-winning free throws with two seconds left to force a decisive Game 5

The showdown marks the first Game 5 in the W Finals in five years. Since the league adopted the best-of-five format in 2005, only seven other series have gone the distance.

NY’s Home-Court Advantage: Of those previous seven Game 5s, the home team has won five of them, including the last matchup in 2019Momentum For Minny: At the same time, Minnesota is just the eighth squad to force a Game 5 after trailing 2-1. Of the previous seven teams to do so, four have gone on to win the titleThe Last Team To Do It? The Lynx in 2017, when they beat the Sparks to win their fourth championship in seven seasonsHowever, the only team to win Game 4 at home and Game 5 on the road to clinch the title is the 2007 Mercury

With the stakes at their highest and the lights at their brightest, which team will cement its legacy?

2. STAR QUEST: MAJOR NBA MILESTONES TO WATCH

Here’s a stat you’ll love: The NBA regular season is just two days away.

And with Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024 approaching, plenty of historic milestones are on the horizon. So which statistical landmarks should you look out for this season?

Below are three significant pursuits among three superstars.

Kevin Durant | Points: Currently eighth on the all-time scoring list, with 28,924 career points, it’s unlikely that Durant will pass Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) this season for the No. 7 spot. However, the Suns star only needs 1,076 points to become the eighth player with 30,000 career points.

KD’s Pace: Durant scored 2,032 points in 2023-24 and has surpassed 1,000 points in every season where he’s played 40+ gamesThe Other Players In The 30k Club? LeBron James (40,474), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) and Chamberlain

LeBron James | Games Played: Last season, James became the first player to reach 40,000 career points, the first player with 20 All-Star selections and moved up to No. 2 in minutes played. Now entering his 22nd NBA season — tied with Vince Carter for the most all-time — he’s moving up on more lists.

King Games? With 1,492 games played, ranking fifth all-time, James could surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,560) for No. 2 on the all-time list if he plays in 69 games this seasonThe Record: LeBron played in 71 games last season and has averaged 60 games per season over the last three years. Entering 2024-25, he is 120 games away from breaking Robert Parish’s NBA record of 1,611 games played

Chris Paul | Assists & Steals: Paul’s 11,894 career assists are the third-most in league history, and while he’s 3,913 helpers away from breaking John Stockton’s NBA record (15,806 assists), he’s just 198 dimes shy of passing Jason Kidd (12,091) for No. 2 on the all-time list.

Historic Helpers: Last season, Paul recorded a career-low 393 assists, down from 524 in 2022-23. However, in the two seasons before that, he dished out 702 assists (2021-22) and 622 (2020-21)Familiar Faces: Stockton also holds the NBA steals record with 3,265, while Paul ranks third all-time with 2,614. However, CP3 needs just 71 more steals to pass Jason Kidd for the No. 2 spot

Looking for more notable number quests? Below are four other key names closing in on key milestones this season.

Triple-Double Duo: Nikola Jokic ranks fourth in career triple-doubles with 130 — just eight behind No. 3 Magic Johnson (138), while his teammate, Russell Westbrook — the all-time leader in triple-doubles (199) — is one shy of becoming the first player to reach 200Klay Treys: With the sixth-most made 3s in NBA history, Klay Thompson is 80 triples shy of surpassing No. 5 Reggie Miller (2,560), who he is honoring this season by wearing No. 31Pop Ws: The NBA’s all-time leader in coaching wins, Gregg Popovich (1,388 career victories) is 12 shy of reaching 1,400

3. THREE YOUNG STARS WHO COULD LEAD THE MVP RACE

Three names. Three guards. All under 27 years old. These stars all play in the Western Conference and could be adding a prestigious trophy to their mantle this season.

Just as the 24 seconds wind down on a shot clock, NBA.com has been counting down to opening night by dissecting the league’s top 24 storylines over 24 days.

And with the season two sleeps away, Shaun Powell revealed three young stars who he believes could lead the Kia MVP race.

Luka Doncic (Mavericks): A 25-year-old with five All-NBA First-Team selections.

Elite Company: Only two other players have earned 5+ All-NBA First-Team selections at age 25 or younger — Kevin Durant and Tim DuncanLuka’s Historic Run: In the 2024 Playoffs, Doncic became the first player in NBA history to record 450+ points, 150+ rebounds, 150+ assists and 50+ made 3-pointers in a single postseasonEven More Amazing? He eclipsed the mark before the Mavs even made the FinalsPowell’s Prediction: Luka could lead the league in scoring and assists while finishing top-two among rebounders on the Mavericks

Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves): He’s still just 23 years old, with more room to grow.

Leader Of The Pack: Edwards didn’t just lead the Wolves to their first Playoff series win since 2004 last season, he pushed them to the Western Conference Finals, on the verge of their first-ever Finals appearanceYear 5 Loading: In 2023-24, Edwards averaged a career-high in points (25.9), assists (5.1) and field goal percentage (46.1%). The scary part? He’s only been in the league for four years

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): Last year’s runner-up MVP finish was just the beginning.

Thunder Strike: Last season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in points (30.1), assists (6.2), steals (2.0) and plus-minus (+8.2) as OKC became the youngest team in NBA history to secure a No. 1 seedStorm Brewing? This offseason, they got even better, adding Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to a roster with the most promising young core, according to the NBA GM SurveyThe Experts’ Favorite: In that same survey, the GMs voted SGA as the most likely player to win this year’s MVP, with 40% of the votes

4. RAISING 18: RELIVING THE C’S CHAMPIONSHIP JOURNEY

“Every championship has a story … This is something that will be there forever.” — Celtics veteran Al Horford.

The wait is over. ‘Raising 18’ — a behind-the-scenes docuseries chronicling the Celtics’ 2023-24 championship season — is here, exclusively on the NBA App.

Narrated by Horford, this nine-part docuseries offers unparalleled access to the Celtics throughout the year, beginning with the offseason acquisitions of Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday and culminating in a confetti shower at TD Garden as the team hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy for a record 18th time.

From Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s first days in Boston to 2023 training camp all the way to Game 5 of the NBA Finals, experience the Celtics’ historic journey to the NBA mountaintop through the eyes of the players, coaches and team staff who lived it.

Horford: “From when we’re on the road, and we’re together in the locker room. Or getting a lift in after the game, or on the team bus …“Just all the memories throughout the season, all the work that we put in and how focused and determined we were. It just brings me back.”

The Celtics’ unprecedented 18th title made for a fitting end to a season in which they rewrote the record books again and again — securing their place among some of the most dominant teams ever. Now is your chance to relive the run with those who made history.

5. “WHO HE PLAY FOR?” STUDY GUIDE

Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024 – the opening week of the 2024-25 season — begins Tuesday with a doubleheader on TNT between the Celtics and Knicks (7:30 ET) and the Lakers and Wolves (10 ET).

The return of regular-season hoops also means the return of “Inside the NBA” on TNT, where Charles Barkley will test his knowledge of this year’s offseason player movement.

With dozens of players switching teams in a busy summer of transactions, keeping track of all the changes can be tough. So we’ve dropped our annual ‘Who He Play For?’ Study Guide to help you out.

Tune in to “Inside the NBA” during opening week to see how Chuck performs.