The New York Liberty are looking to rebound from a tough loss to the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA Finals. The Liberty were in control for the majority of the game until the Lynx went on an 18-2 run, fueled by Courtney William’s iconic four-point play that gave Minnesota an 83-82 lead.
The shot proved to be important, as Minnesota maintained control of the game and ultimately secured the victory in overtime after a missed Breanna Stewart free-throw that would’ve given the Liberty the lead back.
Although the Liberty fought valiantly and even tied up the game at 93-93 in overtime, Napheesa Collier hit the tie-breaking turnaround jumper to put the Lynx up for good. Still, the Liberty had the opportunity to extend the game but Stewart missed the layup as the final seconds of overtime ticked away as Minnesota stole a road victory over the Liberty to go up 1-0 in the series.
Williams’s shot fueled the Lynx to secure one of the largest comeback wins in WNBA Finals history, ironically tied with the Liberty’s 1999 Game 2 victory over the Houston Comets.
Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello addressed the media on Saturday, signaling that the message to her team is to keep focused on the goal.
“Don’t panic. That’s the big thing. It’s a series. We are disappointed because we didn’t close it out, but credit to Minnesota they didn’t miss a shot down the stretch. We got too passive, and there is things we can learn from and be better for the next one,” Brondello said per comments obtained by USA Today’s Megan L. Hall.
Meanwhile, Liberty star Breanna Stewart was candid on that led to their late game collapse per Hall.
“We gave up 11 points in two minutes. Our offense got really stagnant. [The Lynx] were scoring, like Sandy said, they went like 9-9 in the final however many minutes in overtime. So we didn’t really do all the things that kind of got us that lead and got us to that point throughout the game. And just addressing it. Facing everything head on and taking accountability for all actions and that’s why we’re pros. [Expletive] happens, and now what are we gonna do.”
The Liberty look to even up the series against the Lynx in game 2 on Sunday at 3 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on ABC.