Liberty 80, Lynx 66: Stewart and Laney-Hamilton Stop Another Minnesota Comeback

Breanna Stewart set a finals record with seven steals while Betnijah Laney-Stewart tied her season-high with 20 points. They hold off the Minnesota Lynx late in the fourth quarter in a wire-to-wire victory.

Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images

The Start — Liberty Eyes Revenge

It was evident right from the tip that officials were going to allow physical play. New York seemed fueled by a desperately raucous home crowd, hounding Minnesota into three turnovers in just over two minutes of game action due to an aggressive point of attack defensive plan. Sabrina Ionescu, who shot a frigid 30.8% from the field on game one, was on fire from the start. The 26-year-old canned two triples as she scored eight of the Liberty’s first 10 points which was just part of her 12-point first quarter clinic.

The Lynx looked a bit shell shocked similar to game one, but they also rebounded with an efficient scoring effort after settling down. Alanna Smith led the team with three layups by rolling hard to the rim, countering the Liberty’s aggressive defensive scheme. Minnesota’s 50% field goal mark was good, but New York’s 72.2% mark was great. The home team drilled five of nine three-point attempts as they stretched their lead up to 31-21 by the end of the first quarter where both teams took zero free throws.

The Middle — Minnesota Treading Water

A 10-point deficit did not seem as daunting as the 13-point deficit the Lynx faced a few days ago. A pair of triples by Bridget Carleton and Natisha Hiedeman helped pull Minnesota within six, but that run was short lived as New York responded with a 7-0 run of their own. It was Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who is still limited from a knee surgery just months ago, who heated up in the second quarter. Not normally known for her perimeter shooting, Laney-Hamilton confidently knocked down three of four attempts from beyond the arc. It pushed New York’s lead all the way up to 17.

Keep in mind: The Minnesota Lynx set WNBA Finals history by overcoming an 18-point deficit in game one.

The staunch defense that Lynx fans have been accustomed to seeing finally showed up. They tightened things up, forcing the Liberty into tougher shots late in the clock which ended up fueling their offense. A 10-3 close to the first half allowed Minnesota to creep back to within a score of 39-49. Their pulse was alive thanks to holding New York to 29.4% shooting for the quarter. Ionescu, Laney-Hamilton, and Breanna Stewart combined for 41 of their points, while all of the starting five for Minnesota all scored multiple field goals, but not a single player was in double-digits.

The second half opened at a similar pace. Laney Hamilton ended a four-minute field goal drought for the Liberty, but Courtney Williams responded in a way only she can. Two tough pull-up mid-range jumpers cut the New York lead down to six and forced Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello to call for time. It looked like it was finally time for the Lynx to make their move. Napheesa Collier, who had struggled to find a rhythm up until this point, got going with a pick-six layup and then a putback, pulling her team to within 51-55 with 4:01 left in the third period.

Unfortunately, just when it looked like the Lynx were ready to make their move, Collier would pick up her fourth personal foul with 3:08 left in the quarter. This allowed for New York to regrow their lead up to 61-53 as both teams geared up for the final 10 minutes of action. Both teams shot under 40% from the field in the quarter.

Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

The Finish — Final Flurry Comes Up Short

Minnesota was down seven points to open the fourth quarter in game one. Down eight today, a comeback looked entirely possible. Williams continued her mid-range mastery, but a Courtney Vandersloot triple pushed New York ahead by 11 early in the period. Luckily for the Lynx, Natisha Hiedeman had a necessary response, drawing a flagrant foul due to a reckless Vandersloot closeout on a three-point attempt. Shortly afterwards, she would draw a big offensive foul on Stewart. This gave the Lynx enough juice to pull within two points and 5:36 left to play.

Both teams traded buckets and kept the game within two possessions until the wheels got wobbly for the visitors. Minnesota couldn’t get the ball to Collier on offense, while Williams missed a vintage pull-up jumper and followed it up with a turnover on the ensuing possession by dribbling it off her foot. That led directly to a wide open Leonie Fibich trey ball that pushed her team up 75-66 with 1:30 left. Would the Lynx be able to cobble together a miraculous last minute comeback?

No.

They had a couple wide open looks at threes, but they wouldn’t fall this time. The Liberty finished the game on a 13-0 run, though half of that was just in garbage time. Minnesota’s comeback would fall short this time despite a spirited effort. When it’s all said and done, they accomplished what they came to do. Steal home court advantage. If the Lynx left New York up 2-0, then it would’ve all be sealed the Liberty’s fate as runners-up. There were still plenty of positives for Cheryl Reeve to take away from this loss, as they once again bounced back from a big early deficit and had a shot late in the game.

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Up Next

The hardwood finally changes court over for games three and four. The Lynx return home to host the New York Liberty on Wednesday, 10/16 at 7:00 PM CT, and you can believe that Target Center will be jumping. They will have two games at home to try and clinch title number five on home soil.