Home
The New York Liberty scripted history on Sunday Night in WNBA Final Game 5 as they toppled the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in a decisive Final. Liberty won their first WNBA Championship in 28 years. New York was one of the original franchises in the league and yet they were away from their first trophy, but finally, the girls have turned it around. Jonquel Jones was the star of the night as she scored 17 points. Liberty's WNBA Championship was a story of One Day but days of hard work as the Liberty made the WNBA Finals five times before but they lost in the finals each time. It was a story of so near yet so far for them but this time despite losing the first game they held their calm and emerged victorious in the decider. This was New York's first basketball title since 1973 when New York Knicks clinched the NBA Championship.
WNBA Final Results
Game 1: Lynx 95, Liberty 93
Game 2: Liberty 80, Lynx 66
Game 3: Liberty 80, Lynx 77
Game 4: Lynx 82, Liberty 80
Game 5: Liberty 67 Lynx 62
Match result
With stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggling offensively, other players rose to the occasion. Leonie Fiebich kicked off overtime with a 3-pointer, followed by Nyara Sabally, who made a steal and scored a layup to extend the lead to 65-60, igniting the enthusiastic sellout crowd.
Minnesota struggled offensively in overtime, failing to score until Kayla McBride hit two free throws with 1:51 remaining. The Lynx missed all six of their field goal attempts in that period. After Ionescu's 18th miss on 19 attempts with 21 seconds left, Minnesota had one final opportunity, but Bridget Carleton's 3-pointer went awry with 16 seconds remaining.
Stewart, who had missed a free throw with 0.8 seconds left in regulation during Game 1, made two crucial free throws with 10.1 seconds left in overtime to secure the win. As the final seconds wound down, players embraced while streamers rained down from the rafters.
New York was trailing by two in regulation when Stewart was fouled with 5.2 seconds remaining. Following a lengthy video review, she calmly sank two free throws to tie the game at 60.
Kayla McBride led Minnesota with 21 points and had an open look for a 3-pointer, but it bounced off the rim, sending the game to overtime.
Many former Liberty stars, including Teresa Weatherspoon—who famously made a half-court shot in the 1999 WNBA Finals to force a decisive Game 3—were in attendance. This marked the first time New York had a chance at a championship-deciding game since that year.
Jonquel Jones, the only Liberty player with previous Game 5 experience from her time in Connecticut in 2019, earned MVP honors. “I could never dream of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here,” she said.
Lynx were eying fifth Title
Napheesa Collier led Minnesota with 22 points before fouling out with 13 seconds left in overtime. The Lynx were aiming for a record fifth WNBA title, hoping to break a tie with the Seattle Storm and Houston Comets. Minnesota had won four championships from 2011 to 2017 with a core group that included Lindsay Whalen, Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson, Sylvia Fowles, and Maya Moore, marking their return to the WNBA Finals for the first time since then.
This was the first WNBA Finals to go the full distance since 2019. Since the league adopted a best-of-five format in 2005, seven other series have gone to a Game 5, with the home team winning five of those matchups, including in 2019.
