Liberty captures WNBA title in overtime thriller over Lynx in unforgettable season

An unforgettable twelvemonth of women’s hoops ended successful thrilling manner connected Sunday night, arsenic the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx successful overtime of Game 5 to triumph the WNBA Finals. 

This is the Liberty’s first-ever championship, an elusive 1 for a franchise that has been to the WNBA Finals 5 times since 1997, including past twelvemonth erstwhile they mislaid to the Las Vegas Aces. 

But Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and the remainder of the stars successful Brooklyn wouldn’t beryllium denied this time, though the Lynx were searching for its 5th ringing for the organization. And they were doing everything they could to marque definite the Liberty went different twelvemonth searching for that Finals victory. 

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Minnesota Lynx defender Courtney Williams (10) drives against New York Liberty guardant Jonquel Jones (35) during the 3rd 4th of Game 5 of the WNBA hoops last series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

It was lone close that the last crippled of this rubric bid came down to yet different adjacent battle, this clip requiring other clip connected the timepiece aft 4 quarters to find who lifted the trophy. 

The crushed the Liberty and Lynx had to get present was owed to Minnesota prima Napheesa Collier hitting 2 layups to spell up 60-58 with 1 infinitesimal near connected the fourth-quarter clock. 

New York had its ain superstar successful Stewart, astatine the escaped propulsion enactment with 38 seconds to play with a accidental to necktie the game, but she was incapable to deed some of her escaped throws, and contempt an violative rebound, Sabrina Ionescu wasn’t capable to deed a stepback 3 pointer successful an effort to instrumentality the lead. 

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But the Liberty got a halt connected Collier connected the adjacent travel down the floor, arsenic Stewart grabbed the antiaircraft rebound, giving New York a accidental to necktie the crippled oregon instrumentality the lead. 

Stewart was the 1 with the shot connected the different end, and arsenic she went for her layup, officials called a shooting foul connected Alanna Smith, but the Lynx were furious with the call. It was challenged, but the telephone was upheld, allowing Stewart 2 much escaped throws with 5 seconds to play to necktie the game. 

This time, Stewart was money, hitting some of her shots to marque it 60-60. The Lynx had a accidental to extremity the crippled with the last shot, and Kayla McBride had a cleanable look from 25 feet out, but her three-pointer was conscionable short, banging disconnected the beforehand of the rim earlier the Liberty got the rebound to adjacent retired regularisation time. 

While Ionescu and Stewart’s prowess connected the violative extremity got the Liberty to this constituent successful the season, they some truly struggled shooting successful this game. But it was Leonie Fiebich who knocked down the archetypal bucket of overtime for the Liberty, drilling a three-pointer to instrumentality the 63-60 lead. 

Minnesota Lynx guardant Napheesa Collier (24) argues with an authoritative aft being called for traveling successful the 2nd 4th against the New York Liberty during crippled 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals astatine Barclays Center. (Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images)

Both teams would spell up and down the tribunal without seeing the shot spell done the hoop, arsenic Lynx crafty defender Courtney Williams couldn’t get her shots to go, portion Ionescu continued to struggle. 

But Nyara Sabally was capable to prime disconnected McBride’s walk and enactment the Liberty up 5 with an casual modulation layup. 

With 1:51 near connected the overtime clock, McBride was yet capable to get the Lynx connected the committee with 2 escaped throws to marque it a three-point game. But the Lynx couldn’t deed a azygous changeable from the field, and it yet outgo them the title. 

Stewart buried 2 escaped throws with 10 seconds to go, putting the Liberty up 5 and up for bully arsenic the Barclays Center erupted. Fiebich made them spell adjacent crazier erstwhile she intercepted the Lynx’s inbound walk to seal the win. 

Ionescu was a brutal 1-for-19 from the floor, including 1-of-10 from three-point territory, and Stewart went 4-of-15 with 5 escaped throws for a full 13 points. Jonquel Jones, though, was precise businesslike with 17 points connected 5-of-10 from the level and a cleanable 7-of-7 from the foundation stripe. Sabally besides contributed 13 points disconnected the bench. 

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New York Liberty defender Sabrina Ionescu (20) reacts aft scoring against the Minnesota Lynx during the 3rd 4th of Game 5 of the WNBA hoops last series, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, successful New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

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For the Lynx, Collier and McBride did their champion to instrumentality location the trophy with 22 and 21 points respectively. But it yet wasn’t capable successful the end, arsenic the Liberty were filled with emotions and solemnisation connected their location court. 

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