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The New York Liberty, as the top seed, suffered a tough loss in the opening game of the WNBA Finals at home. It wasn't just one defeat—it felt like they lost the game several times over.
Thanks to the relentless Minnesota Lynx, the Liberty were left stunned after a 95-93 overtime loss on Thursday at Barclays Center. Despite being up by 18 points, and later by 15 with just over five minutes remaining, the Liberty saw their lead disappear as the Lynx mounted an impressive comeback.
Minnesota outscored New York 18-3 in the final five minutes of regulation. The Lynx seized the lead with just 5.1 seconds remaining, courtesy of a four-point play by guard Courtney Williams, who scored after an offensive rebound. "I definitely shouldn't have fouled her," said Sabrina Ionescu of the Liberty, reflecting on Williams' decisive shot. "If we had grabbed that rebound, we would've won. There were just so many critical moments like that."
Williams' play put the Lynx ahead 84-83, but the drama didn't end there. With 3.9 seconds left, Minnesota's Napheesa Collier poked the ball away from Liberty's Breanna Stewart, leading to a jump ball as officials couldn't clearly see the play. Neither team had a timeout to challenge the call.
Williams committed a jump ball violation, giving the Liberty possession. Collier, known for her defensive prowess, blocked Stewart's shot attempt on the following play. Stewart was then fouled with 0.8 seconds left, and she had the opportunity to win the game at the free-throw line. However, Stewart, usually an 83.6% shooter, split the pair, forcing the game into overtime.
The Liberty had chances to secure the win in overtime as well. With less than a minute left, Ionescu and Jonquel Jones each scored off steals, tying the game. But Collier responded with a clutch 12-foot jumper, putting Minnesota back in the lead with 8.1 seconds to go.
In the final seconds, Stewart missed a potential game-winner. "I probably had one of my cleanest looks," she said. "I want to be taking those shots."
After the game, the Liberty players reflected on the tough loss, acknowledging that they were still learning, even though they had already played 48 games this season. Despite the disappointment, they consoled each other, recognizing it was just one game in the best-of-five series.
