For those who originally thought this year’s Minnesota-Indiana WNBA Finals would be a rematch of 2012, the last time the two clubs met for the championship, we borrow one of the top all-time movie lines: “Rematch? We don’t need any stinking rematch.”

“Not a rebound, a point of a play from previous matchup(s) has any effect on this game,” stated ESPN Analyst Carolyn Peck. “That was three years ago. Now it’s two different teams.”

“Both teams are evenly matched,” observed Adrienne Thomas, a reporter for Swish Appeal.

“While some have chosen to characterize this as a rematch of 2012, I think it is so much more than that,” said WNBA President Laurel Richie prior to Game 2 Tuesday. “The Minnesota Lynx and the Indiana Fever are two teams, I think, that are equally matched in their will to win, and they have the track records to prove it.”

“This is a five game series,” said Indiana forward Tamika Catchings.

Now tied at 1-1, “It’s a long series, so we definitely look forward to stealing a game in Indiana and forcing Game 5 or we might close it out in Indiana,” said Minnesota guard Seimone Augustus on the series resuming on Friday in Indianapolis.

Finals ICYMI

Several Lynx players are either at the top or near it among the W Finals career leaders.

Rebekkah Brunson is No. 1 in games played (21), and Lindsay Whalen is 2nd (18). Whalen also is tops in games started (18) and Brunson is 3rd tied with Swin Cash and Deanna Nolen (16) – she will tie former teammate Taj McWilliams-Franklin if she starts Friday at 17.

Brunson and Whalen are third and fourth respectively in minutes played.

Whalen leads both in assists (77) and turnovers (47).

Finally, Thomas says she expects the Fever’s home crowd to be just as raucous as the Lynx’s on Friday night.

The MSR will provide updates, pre-and-post game analysis, notes and comments throughout the Finals.

Charles Hallman welcomes reader responses to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.