Breaking down Liberty-Lynx WNBA playoff matchup, plus a prediction

The Liberty have spent 44 games trying to figure themselves out — tinkering with lineups, installing a new offense and experimenting with defensive coverages under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco. It was all meant to build toward the playoffs.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.That time has come. The Liberty enter the postseason after an underwhelming 26-18 season plagued by injuries.

They’re the eighth seed, despite having a record only one loss worse than last year when the Libs finished fifth. The thing about the postseason, though, is how a team got here doesn’t matter. The Liberty have a chance to write the ending they think they deserve.They’ll face a familiar foe in the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx. Let’s take a look at how the two teams match up: It’s hard to know the severity of Miles’ calf injury that kept her out of the final two games of the season.

Her availability and comfort level could swing the series. The goal isn’t to stop Miles but to slow her. The Liberty did a good job of that in their last meeting, a 93-81 Libs win on Sept.18. Miles missed 10 of her first 13 shots across three quarters and was visibly frustrated at times with the Liberty’s physicality and relentlessness.

Leonie Fiebich, Pauline Astier and Rebekah Gardner took turns hounding Miles and making her work on every possession. Jonquel Jones also blocked Miles near the rim twice. Miles still managed to finish with a team-high 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Edge: Lynx Similar to Miles, Stewart’s health is a notable storyline heading into the postseason. Stewart missed the regular-season finale with soreness in her left knee after tweaking it in a previous game.DeMarco said it was a “precautionary” measure to keep Stewart out but was noncommittal about her availability in the postseason. History tells us she’ll play.

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