The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded prior to the 1999 season. The team is owned by Glen Taylor, who also owns the Lynx' NBA counterpart, the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lynx have qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in four of their fourteen years in Minnesota. The franchise has been home to many high-quality players such as Katie Smith, explosive small-forward Seimone Augustus, hometown point guard Lindsay Whalen, and Connecticut standout Maya Moore. The team is the reigning champion of the WNBA, having won the 2011 WNBA Finals.

The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team currently based in Newark, New Jersey, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league. The team is owned by Madison Square Garden, who also owns the Liberty's NBA counterpart, the New York Knicks.

The Liberty has qualified for the WNBA Playoffs in ten of its fourteen years in New York. The franchise has been home to many well-known players such as guard Teresa Weatherspoon, Becky Hammon, University of Utah player Leilani Mitchell, and Rutgers player Cappie Pondexter. In 1997, 1999, 2000, and 2002, the Liberty went to the WNBA Finals but fell short the first three attempts to Houston and in 2002 to Los Angeles. They have the most appearances in the WNBA Finals without a championship.

Due to renovations at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the Liberty are playing at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey from 2011 through 2013.