Liberty survive OT classic vs. Lynx to win first WNBA title

NEW YORK — The franchise that received the primary sport in WNBA historical past lastly has received the final sport of the season.

Greater than 27 years after enjoying for league’s inaugural championship and following a number of close to misses, the New York Liberty turned WNBA champions with a 67-62 time beyond regulation victory Sunday over the Minnesota Lynx.

Breanna Stewart sealed the win with two free throws with 10.1 seconds left within the additional interval. After Leonie Fiebich stole a go, the Liberty dribbled out the clock on a victory that was as hard-fought and dramatic as any in a Sport 5 of the WNBA Finals.

The Liberty prevailed 3-2 in a collection marked by big pictures and large momentum shifts within the first three video games. Little separated the groups in Sport 4, which the Lynx received on two free throws with two seconds left.

In Sport 5, earlier than a packed home at Barclays Middle, the Liberty battled again from a seven-point halftime deficit to take a 47-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter. So a few years of ready would come all the way down to 10 minutes.

Or so it appeared.

As a substitute, these groups — which confronted off 9 instances in the course of the season, together with the Commissioner’s Cup remaining that the Lynx claimed in June — labored into time beyond regulation.

With 6.3 seconds left in regulation, the Liberty had the ball, trailing 60-58. Stewart was fouled by Alanna Smith, a name the Lynx challenged. After the problem was dominated unsuccessful, Stewart hit each free throws to tie the sport at 60-60. Kayla McBride missed a 3-pointer for Minnesota, and the sport went to time beyond regulation.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spent a substantial a part of her information convention criticizing the officiating in Sport 5 and all the collection, saying, “This s— was stolen from us.”

Within the additional interval, the Liberty’s factors got here from Fiebich, Nyara Sabally and Stewart. Sabally had her greatest sport but as a Liberty participant, with 13 factors and 7 rebounds. Fiebich, Sabally’s German nationwide workforce teammate within the Olympics, additionally had 13 factors and 7 rebounds.

The Liberty received regardless of taking pictures simply 30.6% from the sphere. Sabrina Ionescu made simply 1 of 19 pictures from the sphere, ending with 5 factors. Regardless of these struggles, she had eight assists and 7 rebounds.

Liberty ahead Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP after main New York with 17 factors in Sport 5. Jones, who was +1000 to win MVP at the beginning of the collection, tied Diana Taurasi for the third-most profession factors within the Finals with 320. She was enjoying in her fourth profession Finals, after beforehand dropping with the Connecticut Solar in 2019 and 2022 and with the Liberty final yr.

“I may by no means dream of this,” stated Jones. “You understand how many instances I have been denied. It was delayed. I’m so blissful to do it right here.”

The title is additional particular to Stewart, the workforce’s lone native New Yorker who recollects attending Liberty video games as a child. A two-time champion whereas with the Seattle Storm, she joined the Liberty earlier than the 2023 season as the most important free agent signing in WNBA historical past.

“I have been manifesting this second for some time. There is not any feeling prefer it,” Stewart stated after the sport. “Credit score to Minnesota — they gave us a tricky collection. The followers have been wonderful all over the place we have gone. To convey a championship to New York, first ever in franchise historical past, it is an unimaginable feeling. I can not wait to proceed to rejoice with the town. It is going to be bonkers.”

The Liberty’s ticker tape parade is scheduled for Monday.

The Liberty gave the Large Apple its first main skilled basketball championship since 1973. That is when the New York Knicks received the NBA title, which got here 16 years earlier than the oldest participant on the Liberty’s roster, 35-year-old guard Courtney Vandersloot, was born. (The New York/New Jersey Nets received the ABA title in 1976, however that league was all the way down to seven groups then and would merge with the NBA for 1976-77). A metropolis that loves hoops and winners will get to mix each once more.

After 5 earlier tries to win the title — beginning in 1997, the WNBA’s inaugural yr — the Liberty now have a crown to go together with their iconic torch brand.

Upset after dropping 3-1 to the Las Vegas Aces in final yr’s Finals, Stewart did not have her finest sport offensively in Sport 5, as she was 4-of-15 from the sphere and 5-of-8 from the foul line for 13 factors. However she was sturdy on protection and had 15 rebounds.

Stewart, Jones and Ionescu had been the Liberty’s high three scorers within the common season and the playoffs. Ionescu, the No. 1 draft decide in 2020, made a 28-foot 3-pointer with one second left in Sport 3 that now surpasses Teresa Weatherspoon’s half-court heave that received Sport 2 of the 1999 Finals as the most important shot in Liberty historical past.

The day after Weatherspoon’s shot, the Liberty misplaced Sport 3 and the title to the Houston Comets in what was then a best-of-three collection. Ionescu’s shot Wednesday sealed an 80-77 come-from-behind victory and gave the Liberty two probabilities at clinching the title. They fell brief on the primary try Friday however secured their championship Sunday.

After watching the Aces rejoice the title on New York’s courtroom final yr, the Liberty all season talked in regards to the scars they’d from that — but in addition the teachings they discovered.

The Liberty had been the No. 1 seed at a league-best 32-8, however within the playoffs needed to get previous the Atlanta Dream, final yr’s nemesis Las Vegas and Minnesota.

And the Liberty needed to overcome a gut-punch loss in Sport 1 of the Finals in Brooklyn, the place they led by as a lot as 18 factors and by 15 with simply over 5 minutes left earlier than falling 95-93 in time beyond regulation. The Liberty knew they could not afford to wallow in that missed likelihood; they received Sport 2 at dwelling 80-66.

Sport 3 and its unbelievable end will go down as an epic story in Liberty lore, which has included many highs that had been overshadowed by disappointments. Sport 4’s loss added extra drama to what many may think about probably the most aggressive WNBA Finals ever. And Sport 5 was a catharsis for the Liberty and their longtime followers.

The franchise that received the primary WNBA sport — June 21, 1997, at Los Angeles — has reached its pinnacle.

Simply 4 years in the past, Ionescu was the No. 1 decide however missed most of 2020 after struggling an ankle damage within the third sport of her rookie yr. The Liberty completed 2-20 within the pandemic-shortened season.

The Liberty went 12-20 and returned to the playoffs in 2021. Sandy Brondello took over as coach in 2022, and New York completed 16-20. The additions of Stewart, Jones and Vandersloot in 2023 had been big strikes that helped produce back-to-back 32-8 seasons and Finals appearances.

“To only be capable of see what we have achieved in such a brief period of time is loopy to think about,” stated Ionescu, the one participant on the 2020 roster who continues to be with the Liberty.

Stewart recalled having a second of second-guessing earlier than saying her free company determination in 2023.

“I believed, ‘Am I doing the proper factor? I am leaving my protected area of Seattle,'” she stated. “However it’s been unimaginable. I am again the place I am rooted. It appears like dwelling.”

And now it is a spot to hold a championship banner.