WNBA championship: New York Liberty edge Minnesota Lynx in time beyond regulation thriller to win title

New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in time beyond regulation of a winner-take-all Sport 5 showdown in Brooklyn to safe their first WNBA title on Sunday, a yr after falling brief within the championship spherical for a fifth time.

Jonquel Jones landed a team-high 17 factors as she was named Most Beneficial Participant of the WNBA Finals, and the top-seeded Liberty overcame a sluggish begin to deny the Lynx a report fifth title.

“That is one thing particular proper right here and I am making an attempt to not cry,” stated Breanna Stewart, who together with Sabrina Ionescu additionally received a gold medal with Crew USA on the Paris Olympics.

“We had some ups and downs, this sequence was powerful however we fought by way of as a result of we needed to carry it house to this metropolis and this crowd.”

Well timed shot-blocking and a clutch three-pointer by Ionescu, her staff’s first of the sport, allowed New York to seize a four-point lead late within the fourth quarter however neither staff had been in a position to draw back.

Stewart missed an opportunity to tie the sport with 38 seconds left in regulation when she missed a pair of free throws however redeemed herself on her subsequent journey to the road to power the additional interval.

New York received the bounce ball to start out time beyond regulation and shortly went forward with a Leonie Fiebich three-pointer that proved to be the game-winning basket earlier than Nyara Sabally gave them their largest lead of the sport.

Stewart then sealed the title when she made two free throws with 10 seconds left in time beyond regulation.

The Liberty, who squandered an opportunity to safe the title in Minnesota on Friday, had been sluggish to start out Sport 5. They missed their first 16 three-point makes an attempt and by no means led till late within the third quarter.

Minnesota, powered by Napheesa Collier, led 19-10 after a primary quarter throughout which Stewart and Ionescu, the Liberty’s two main scorers this yr, did not register some extent.

The Lynx used stable protection to maintain Stewart and Ionescu from discovering any rhythm however the Liberty, who missed all 9 of their three-point makes an attempt within the half, used a late surge to chop right into a 12-point deficit and trailed by seven on the break.

New York got here out extra energized to start out the third quarter and grabbed their first lead of the sport late within the interval when Ionescu threaded an excellent cross to Sabally for a lay-up that put the hosts forward 40-38 and awoke the house crowd.

“I may by no means dream of this,” Jones, who averaged 17.8 factors within the Finals, stated after being named MVP.

“It is the most important second and it’s a must to lock in if you wish to be a champion and it was all about this and us profitable collectively as a result of we actually love one another.”