The Liberty, one of the founding members of the league, had been to the Finals five times before, including last season when they were knocked out by the Las Vegas Aces. They reached the Finals in four of the first six WNBA seasons. Finally, though, the Liberty pulled it off to lift the trophy, marking the first professional basketball championship in the city since the New York Nets won the ABA title in 1976.
Sunday's contest was the first winner-take-all overtime game in WNBA Finals history, which was fitting considering the rest of the chaotic series that came before it.
The Liberty didn’t waste any time in the extra period, either. Leonie Fiebich came out in overtime and immediately hit a 3-pointer. New York was just 1-of-19 from behind the arc up until that point. Nyara Sabally, after a steal on the other end, then sank a breakaway layup to put the Liberty up by five points. That marked their largest lead of the game.
The Liberty didn't make another bucket but held Minnesota without a field goal the rest of the way in overtime to sneak out the five-point victory.
Sabrina Ionescu finished with just five points after shooting 1-of-19 from the field and 1-of-10 from the 3-point line for the Liberty. Breanna Stewart, now with three titles to her name, finished with 13 points on 4-of-15 shooting and 15 rebounds. The Liberty shot just 2-of-23 from behind the arc as a unit.
Jonquel Jones wins WNBA Finals MVP
Jonquel Jones was named the WNBA Finals MVP after leading the team with 17 points and six rebounds in the win.
Jones, who is in her sixth season in the league and her second with the Liberty, dominated the entire series. She averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds over the five games. She dropped 24 points and 10 rebounds in their Game 1 overtime loss and had 21 points and eight rebounds in Game 4 on Friday night.
Jones, who moved to the United States from the Bahamas when she was a child in order to play basketball, was the league’s MVP in 2021 when she was with the Connecticut Sun. She has one year left on her two-year deal with the Liberty.
Liberty rally after slow start
Though they pulled it out, the Liberty got out to another slow start Sunday night. The Lynx took a 19-10 lead after the first quarter while holding New York to just 5-of-18 from the field shooting. Ionescu and Stewart combined to shoot 0-of-8, and the Lynx ended the period on a 7-0 run.
New York's offensive issues continued in the second quarter, and Napheesa Collier and the Lynx took full advantage. Collier dropped 14 points in the first half and helped lead a big defensive stand that forced the Liberty into a single field goal, a Stewart layup, in the final 4:30 of the second quarter.
Despite shooting 0-of-9 from behind the arc and Ionescu failing to score any points in the opening 20 minutes, the Liberty ended the second quarter on an 8-2 burst — powered almost exclusively from the free-throw line — to cut the Lynx’s lead to seven at the break.
Finally, the Liberty got their shots to fall. New York opened the second half on a 13-4 tear and took its first lead of the game late in the third quarter after Sabally made a pair of layups off assists from Ionescu — who scored her first points of the game, albeit from the free-throw line, during that run.
By the end of the third quarter, the Liberty took a three-point lead after holding the Lynx to just 10 points in the period.
After missing 15 consecutive shots from the field, which set a record for the most consecutive missed shots in a winner-take-all game in WNBA history, Ionescu got a shot to fall late in the fourth quarter. Ionescu drained a 3-pointer from the wing just before the three-minute mark, which marked the first made 3-pointer for the Liberty all night.
The four-point lead, though, didn't hold. The Lynx rallied right back after a pair of free throws from Kayla McBride and a Collier bucket, which tied the game. Collier came through again with a perfect reverse layup to jump ahead, but Stewart drew a foul with just 5.2 seconds left on a midrange jumper. That sparked a challenge from the Lynx, which was unsuccessful, and sent Stewart to the free-throw line. Stewart, who missed two free throws just 30 seconds earlier, hit them both to tie it up. That set up the Lynx’s final chance, which was off the mark and sent the game into overtime.
Collier led the Lynx with 22 points and seven rebounds. She shot 11-of-23 from the field before she fouled out late in overtime. McBride added 21 points. They were the only Lynx players to hit double figures. Minnesota made just one more 3-pointer than the Liberty did, too.
The Lynx were searching for a record fifth championship and first since their historic run that started more than a decade ago. The Lynx won four titles over a seven-year span with stars Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, most recently in 2017. They’ve been back to the postseason every year since that final championship, but this is the first time they made it back to the Finals.
Collier fouls out after Sabally brings down yet another key rebound. Collier hit the bench, but Cheryl Reeve didn't put anyone in. Receives a delay of game before finally putting Juhasz in. Smith looked irritated.
Cassandra Negley
Williams also missed one for Lynx, and turned it over. Such a bizarre Game 5 lacking any clutchness.
Cassandra Negley
Ionescu added two more misses (one midrange after not shooting in the corner 3 pocket, and another from deep 3). Gives Minnesota a chance to tie with 18.4 seconds left in overtime. NY leads, 65-62.
Players are used to quick turnarounds, but you do have to wonder at this point how much a 48-hour turnaround between a hard Game 4 and even more difficult Game 5 is impacting both sides. They traveled mid-day yesterday, though it's only about a 2 hour, 15 minute flight.
Cassandra Negley
Liberty lead, 65-50, with 2:44 in overtime. Fiebich opened with a 3 — only the team's second (!!) of the night — and Sabally turned a steal into a layup.
Yahoo Sports Staff
a lots been made about New York being in this with bad shooting outings from stewie and sab but also gotta give big ups to Phee and KMac for keeping Lynx in this when no other player has more than 6 points
She makes both to tie it at 60s. Minnesota takes its final timeout, a reset, with 5.2 seconds left.
Cassandra Negley
They uphold it. Stewart is shooting two to tie it.
Cassandra Negley
Liberty have trouble with the inbound, but somehow Stewart comes up in traffic with it and Alanna Smith is called for a foul. Minnesota is challenging the call.
Cassandra Negley
Another game will come down the final five seconds. Lynx lead, 60-58, and Collier's layup doesn't go down. Liberty get the rebound and call a timeout. There's 5.2 seconds on the clock and the Liberty's first championship on the line. They've lost five times prior, including last year in a heartbreak.
Cassandra Negley
This is unbelievable. Stewart had a chance to tie it and missed both free throws. Liberty snag the rebound, kick it back to Sabrina and she misses a 3. Lynx clutch a two-point lead with 33 seconds and a jump ball
Yahoo Sports Staff
NAPHEESA COLLIER PUTS THE LYNX BACK ON TOP WITH 1:04 ON THE CLOCK 🚨
It's a tie game, 58-58, with 95 seconds left in regulation.
Cassandra Negley
Sabrina hits her first 3 of the night after five misses, and starting the game 0-13.
Cassandra Negley
Smith is back on the court for Minnesota out of the timeout and she immediately forces a jump ball on Jones.
Cassandra Negley
Ionescu's fifth miss from range leads to a Lynx transition bucket and Minnesota has the lead back, 50-49, at 5:29 of the fourth. She's 0-12. Stewart is 3-12. And the Liberty are 0-14 from 3-point range.
Stewie said after winning the Aces semifinals series that "Liberty basketball" can mean winning ugly if they have to, and boy, oh, boy is this that (should they win).
Yahoo Sports Staff
A call-and-response “We all we got!” “We all we need!” chant breaks out here from Liberty fans, echoing the mantra introduced to the huddle by Jonquel Jones. Awesome moment. pic.twitter.com/KHAai9jOB2
"We all we got." "We all we need." chants are breaking out at Barclays. It's the team's mantra this year.
Cassandra Negley
That's the second time Alanna Smith has fallen and grabbed her back. She's not getting up now. The team came out to her and she's being seen by the Lynx training staff under the basket. That did not look good.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Ten minutes left in the season and it's, once again, a one possession game. Follow along —>
A big quarter by the Liberty, 20-10, to take the lead. Sabally had nine points in the quarter and Jones added five. Baskets aren't going as easy for the Lynx as they were in the first half.
Ten minutes left in the season.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Free throws nearing the end of the third quarter:
- New York: 13-for-15 - Minnesota: 1-for-2#WNBAFinals
Courtney Williams is not having a good game. She's missed in the midrange on some looks that have become routine for her. The Lynx guard dog is 2-9 (0-2) with two assists and two rebounds. Not effective enough for a team that requires a balanced attack.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Mood inside Barclays during the timeout after back-to-back buckets by Nyara Sabally give New York its first lead of the game. pic.twitter.com/CBDtbgO6t9
The tying and go-ahead buckets came from Nyara Sabally, who is playing a phenomenal series off the bench. She barely played while at Oregon (46 games over two seasons) due to injury. She is, of course, the younger sister of Satou Sabally and former Oregon teammate of Ionescu.
Cassandra Negley
Minnesota is dominating this game, but isn't playing its best and could have put this away. Its a tie game, 38-38, and Barclays is alive at 3:23 of the third.
Cassandra Negley
Sabrina Ionescu's first points come at 5:23 in the third quarter on free throws.
Cassandra Negley
Stewie and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hit buckets to pull Liberty within a possession, 34-31, and force Reeve to take a Lynx timeout. Phee also grabbed her second foul in between those baskets. Feels like a completely new ball game a swift 90 seconds into the third quarter.
Cassandra Negley
Liberty came into tonight averaging 81 ppg in regulation (a high of 84 in Game 1, and 80 every game after). At the half they were on pace for 54.
Cassandra Negley
HALF: Lynx 34, Liberty 27
Liberty gain some life and momentum at the end of the first half. Stewart scored her second basket on a cut. Kayla Thornton secured a steal on the other end (on the play Smith checked out after), but Stewart missed a 3. Jones (10 p/2r/1a) added two free throws.
Stewart has five points (2-8) and Ionescu is still scoreless (0-8). But Minnesota hasn't pulled away as it could right now. Collier is getting everything and anything (14p) and McBride has 9. Lynx are shooting 45.7% to Liberty's 28.6%.
Yahoo Sports Staff
Well, that was a half.
It's 34-27, Lynx.
Napheesa Collier has been phenomenal with 14 points. Lynx led by as many as 12; NY ended the frame on a 4-0 run.
Jonquel Jones (10pts) has been a life-saver so far for Liberty
NY needs more from Sabrina (0-8), Stewie (2-9) -- and fast