The No. 2-seed Minnesota Lynx came back from down 18 points to steal Game 1 on the road from the No. 1-seed New York Liberty, winning 95-93 in overtime.
The Lynx got a MVP performance from Napheesa Collier, who ended the night with 21 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. Collier also had the game-winning basket and defended Breanna Stewart on the game’s final possession.
Courtney Williams was integral in this Lynx victory, scoring a team-high 23 points, including a huge four-point play that helped force overtime.
Given the collapse, Liberty fans will not want to hear about how well their team played, but they did have some standout performances. Jonquel Jones was superb, with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Leonie Fiebech brought her elite defense and added 17 points. While Stewart will be remembered for missing the game-winning free throw in regulation and the game-tying layup in overtime, she still contributed 18 points in the defeat.
The Lynx have dominated this matchup this year. They beat the Liberty 2-1 in the regular-season series, defeated them in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship and now, most importantly, lead the WNBA Finals 1-0.
The Lynx wouldn’t let the Liberty put them away
It was all good three quarters ago for the Liberty. They came out roaring, outscoring the Lynx 32-19 in the opening frame. Collier struggled to get going offensively, as Stewart’s size gave her trouble. After a Betnijah Laney-Hamilton layup, New York led 39-21 with 6:24 left in the first half. It started to look like the Liberty would cruise to victory at home.
However, Minnesota had other plans, going on a 10-0 run to cut the deficit down to seven points. Sabrina Ionescu rattled in a 3-pointer to stop the run and kill Minnesota’s momentum. At the break, New York was ahead by eight.
In the third quarter, the Lynx went on an 8-2 run to make it a one-possession game. Suddenly, Minnesota was in control. Williams was yapping to the crowd, her Dad was jawing with fans and Kayla McBride had a menacing smile on her face as Liberty coach Sandy Brondello called timeout, grabbed her clipboard and tried to draw something up that would right the ship.
After the timeout, the Liberty came out and had a 24-second shot clock violation. In the final minute of the third, New York finally found some rhythm thanks to a pair of Nyara Sabally free throws and a huge Courtney Vandersloot 3-pointer.
The Lynx came through in the most crucial moments
Up by seven at home,…
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