MINNEAPOLIS — The New York Liberty took a crucial step toward a historic playoff upset Sunday, defeating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75 at Target Center to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round WNBA series. Breanna Stewart led the effort with an outstanding all-around performance, scoring 34 points alongside 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Despite the commanding victory, Stewart remained measured, warning against complacency with the series shifting back to New York for Game 2 on Tuesday. “Minny’s exceptionally talented, and they’ll throw everything at us Tuesday,” Stewart said, recalling last year’s first-round collapse, when the Liberty won Game 1 on the road but lost the subsequent two games.
Jonquel Jones echoed that sentiment, emphasizing the challenge ahead. “We understand it’s going to be even harder now that we have them on the ropes,” Jones said. “When you have anybody with their backs against the wall, they’re going to fight to try to get out of that.” The Liberty are on the brink of becoming the first eighth seed to eliminate a top seed in the WNBA’s current playoff format, but acknowledge the task remains daunting.
The Lynx, who finished the regular season with the league’s best record and an 18-4 road record, faced a rare setback in Game 1. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve expressed cautious optimism despite the loss. Veteran guard Kayla McBride stressed that confidence remains high within the team’s locker room. “There’s not one second that I don’t believe in this group,” McBride said. “We have another opportunity to show up for ourselves, for each other and for this organization and for these fans.”
The Liberty’s defensive effort and offensive execution contributed to the win, but several factors highlighted the areas for improvement. Minnesota’s McBride and Courtney Williams had less impactful performances, and key Lynx players like Napheesa Collier and Natasha Howard encountered foul trouble. The Liberty also need to address their turnover issues; they committed 19 turnovers, resulting in 18 points for Minnesota, who ranked second in the league in points off turnovers during the regular season.
Looking ahead, the Liberty must maintain composure and focus to close out the series at home. Leonie Fiebich emphasized the importance of mental discipline and execution. “When we’re really calm and collected and can just focus on our execution, that’s really, really good,” Fiebich said. “When we gave away games is when we got emotional and … there’s some bad calls and we react to that.”
Should the Liberty advance, they will face the winner of the first-round matchup between the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics. With the series tied 1-0, Game 2 on Tuesday will prove decisive in shaping the playoff trajectory for both teams.