Cheryl Reeve believed in the Lynx – even when no one else did

That the Liberty were here, in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals Thursday night at Barclays Center, would have come as no surprise to those who set out months ago to predict a groundbreaking 2024 season.

It is the identity of her opponent that caused the surprise.

A popular choice for the preseason finale was the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who faltered throughout the summer and were eliminated in the preseason (semi)finals by the Liberty.

Or the Connecticut Sun, a permanent run into the deep playoffs seemed plausible. The same goes for the Seattle Storm or Phoenix Mercury if everything works out with their big-name offseason additions.

No, no and no.

Instead, it's the Minnesota Lynx, who went 19-21 a year ago and, much to the delight of head coach Cheryl Reeve, finished ninth in ESPN's preseason rankings (the Post ranked them sixth, by the way). . , who came to Brooklyn three wins away from a title.

If the Liberty are the superteam, the Lynx are the everyteam.

Their renaissance begins with homegrown Napheesa Collier's rise from an All-Star to a universally recognized top-three player in the world. Collier averaged 20.4 points with a career-high 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in her sixth professional season and finished second in MVP voting.

Collier was surrounded by complementary players in a revamped starting lineup: veteran sharpshooters Kayla McBride and Bridget Carleton and middling free agents Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith (both signed from Chicago).

Reeve said she realized by the second day of training camp that something special was brewing on her team.

“They were there for each other to cover for each other, and the joy with which they did it – they hadn't experienced that in a few years,” Reeve said. “Back then I just went out there. I didn't tell anyone. It was just like, “Okay, this is really good.” ”

The Lynx celebrated a sweeping victory over the Liberty in their fourth game on May 25 and hardly looked back. They were the only team to beat the Liberty twice (three times total). They finished in second place with a 30-10 record, including a 13-2 record after the Olympic break.

Their trademark was their defense, which ranked second in the league with a rating of 94.8.

“They just trust it and they rotate so well,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said before Game 1. “They’re on the clock.”

The Lynx were the preeminent WNBA dynasty of the 2010s, winning four championships with the likes of Maya Moore, Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Bronson and Sylvia Fowles.

Now, with Collier leading a new core and Reeve with an unprecedented fifth ring on the horizon, they're back in the league's inner circle.

“It wouldn’t mean as much to me as it does in terms of how I feel about her,” Reeve said. “I’m really excited that this group can once again prove all the forecasters wrong.”