New York Liberty hold off Minnesota Lynx in overtime to win first WNBA title

The New York Liberty are WNBA champions for the first time in their 28-year history after coming from behind to beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the finals on Sunday night.

Jonquel Jones scored 17 points to lead New York on a night when her teammates Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggled mightily offensively, combining to shoot 5 of 34 from the floor. The Liberty became the first New York men’s or women’s basketball team to raise a banner since the ABA’s Nets in 1976, sending a sellout crowd of 18,090 fans into a frenzy at the buzzer.

“I never could have dreamed of this,” said Jones, a first-time WNBA champion who was named the Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds over the five games. “You know how many times I’ve been rejected. It was postponed. I’m so happy I can do it here.”

Napheesa Collier, the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, scored 22 points to lead Minnesota before fouling out in overtime.

The Liberty were one of the original eight WNBA franchises and the only member of that league not to have won a championship. Not anymore.

The Liberty fell behind by as many as 12 points during the first half and didn’t take their first lead until Nyara Sabally’s layup with 3:07 left in the third quarter. They trailed 60-58 at the end of regulation when Stewart fouled with 5.2 seconds left. After the call was upheld by a coach’s challenge, Stewart hit both free throws and the game went to overtime when Minnesota’s Kayla McBride missed a three at the horn.

Leonie Fiebich’s 3-pointer early in overtime put New York ahead for good, before Sabally’s steal and breakaway layup opened a 65-60 lead with 3:14 left that Minnesota could not erase. The Lynx got as close as 65-62 with 18.4 seconds left, but Bridget Carleton’s missed three dashed Minnesota’s hopes.

Stewart, who never left the court, finished with 13 points, 15 rebounds and four assists. Ionescu finished with five points, eight assists and seven rebounds, while Fiebich added 13 points. Sabally added a crucial thirteen points and seven rebounds off the bench.

“I’ve been manifesting this moment for a while. There’s no feeling like it,” Stewart said. “Thanks to Minnesota, they gave us a tough series. The fans have been great everywhere we’ve been. To bring a championship to New York for the first time in franchise history, it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to continue celebrating it with the city. it’s going to be crazy.”

The best-of-five series between the Liberty and the Lynx will go down as one of the most dramatic in WNBA history. All five games came down to the last few possessions, with the first and fifth going to overtime and the third settled by a last-second winner.

Minnesota was denied in their bid for a record fifth WNBA title, remaining tied with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets. The Lynx won four titles from 2011 to 2017, but only reached the finals this year.