New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu puts up a three-point shot during Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 at Barclays Center. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
After losing Game 1 in overtime, the New York Liberty got their revenge on Sunday afternoon when they defeated the Minnesota Lynx 80-66 in front of a sellout crowd of 18,046 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in WNBA Finals Game 2 to tie the series 1-1.
Right from the tip the Liberty came out with a different focus on defense, forcing two quick turnovers on Minnesota which led to New York guard Sabrina Ionescu making a fast break layup and a three-pointer for a quick 5-0 lead. Lynx center Alanna Smith was able to answer with back-to-back layups to make the score 5-4 with 7:34 left in the opening period.
Ionescu and Lynx guard Courtney Williams exchanged three-point shots. Then Liberty forward Breanna Stewart and Lynx forward Napheesa Collier, both former college teammates, exchanged jump shots. A moment later, Collier was able to tie up Liberty center Jonquel Jones for a jump ball. New York won the tip and the possession ended with Jones driving in for a layup to make the score 14-9 with 5:32 left in the first quarter.
The Lynx kept it close for most of the opening frame but the Liberty finished on an 8-0 run, with a jump shot from Ionescu, and three-pointers from Stewart and forward Kayla Thornton to make it 31-21 in favor of New York at the end of the opening quarter.
Stewart made a put back short jumper after rebounding her own miss, to extend the run to 10-0, Lynx forward Bridget Carleton and guard Natisha Hiedeman made back-to-back three-pointers to cut the deficit to six points.
Minnesota Lynx guard Kayla McBride tries to drive past New York Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton during Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 at Barclays Center. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
Minnesota forward Cecilia Zandalasini and New York forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton tied up for a jump ball. The Liberty won the tip and proceeded to go off on another 10-0 run. Jones made a put back layup. Ionescu stole the ball from Hiedeman and was fouled by Lynx guard Kayla McBride while attempting the layup. Ionescu made both free throws, the first two attempts of the game to give the Liberty the 10 point lead again. Laney-Hamilton and Stewart each made three-pointers and the score was now 43-27 in favor of the home team with 4:16 left in the half.
Carleton, Williams and Smith each scored layups as Minnesota went on a 6-0 run and then the teams sent each other to the free throw line as the second quarter wound down. New York led 49-39 at the half.
When play resumed, Jones scored on a layup but it was later waived off as a shot clock violation since the replay had shown the ball was still in her hand when the shot clock expired.
Smith and Laney-Hamilton exchanged shots a couple times to keep the margin at 10 points. Williams got the ball rolling for the Lynx with back to back jump shots. Jones scored on a wide open layup for New York. Collier was able to get a steal and fast break layup, followed by a put back layup to cut the Lynx deficit. The 8-2 run made the score 55-51 with 4:04 left in the third quarter.
Collier and Jones tied it up again. Possession went to New York after Hiedeman committed a land violation. Right after, Collier picked up her fourth foul. Smith and Stewart exchanged free throws and Stewart ended the quarter with a long jumper to give the Liberty the 61-53 lead.
New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart launches a three-point shot over the outstretched arms of Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier during Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 at Barclays Center. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
The Lynx knew that if they were going to put themselves into the best position possible to become champions, they had to make up some ground quickly to win Game 2 before moving back to their home court. With an eight point deficit and only 10 minutes to go, they had to get a rally going soon.
Williams started off with a midrange jumper to get things going. Laney-Hamilton responded with a jump shot of her own, but it was waved off as a shot clock violation. Vandersloot made a three-pointer to push the Liberty lead to nine.
On the next possession, Hiedeman attempted a three-point shot but she landed on Vandersloot’s foot as she was landing. Referee Roy Gulbeyan called Vandersloot for a foul, and then the officiating crew reviewed it and determined it to be a Flagrant 1 “wreckless closeout” violation. Hiedeman missed the first three throw but made the other two.
Collier and Jones tied it up for the third time in the ballgame. This time Minnesota won the tip and McBride was able to score a three-pointer. Stewart got called for an offensive foul, giving the ball back to the Lynx. Collier scored on a turnaround jump shot to pull the Lynx to within two points, 64-62, on a 7-0 run with 6:46 remaining in the game.
For a moment, it looked like history would repeat itself as the Lynx seemed to be peaking at the right time. Jones made two free throws after getting fouled by Smith, to extend the Liberty lead to four points, but Collier make a layup to cut it back to two.
Jones made a put back layup on a missed Stewart layup, but Williams answered with a layup for Minnesota making the score 68-66 with 3:41 left on the clock.
Minnesota Lynx center Alanna Smith tries to get separation from New York Liberty center Jonquel Jones during Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 at Barclays Center. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
Laney-Hamilton made another three-pointer for the Liberty. McBride attempted one for Minnesota but missed. Laney-Hamilton grabbed the rebound and then New York called timeout. When play resumed, Carleton fouled Stewart, who made one of two free throws to push the New York lead to six points.
Williams and Fiebich both missed jump shots. Then when Williams was taking the ball up the court after Fiebich missed a three-pointer, the ball glanced off of her foot on the bounce and it rolled directly to Fiebich who was standing behind the three-point line. Fiebich picked it up and nailed a wide open three-pointer to give the Liberty a 75-66 lead with 1:30 left on the clock.
Minnesota could not make a shot in the last 90 seconds of the game. Hiedeman and Williams each missed three-point shots and Hiedeman also missed a layup. Meanwhile, Stewart made a put back layup on her own miss. Ionescu was fouled by Williams but only made one of two free throws. The Lynx put their bench in for the last 35.6 seconds of the game. Jones stole a Zandalasini pass and ran the length of the court for a layup to make the score 80-66, capping a 14-2 New York run to close out the game.
The Liberty went 29-for-61 (47.5 percent) from the field; 11-for-24 (45.8 percent) from three-point range; and 11-for-14 (78.6 percent) from the free throw line. They committed 18 turnovers which led to 17 Minnesota points.
“I just thought when we play like that, with the pace that we went out and just the effort and the energy we put into the defensive side with the scramble and the help, good things happen. It was just more about staying persistent,” said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello.
Minnesota Lynx guard Courtney Williams tries to get off a long range jump shot late in Sunday’s WNBA Finals Game 2 but New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart plays tight defense against her. Photo by James C. Garman/Sportspage Magazine
The Lynx shot 27-for-60 (45.0 percent) from the field; 6-for-20 (30.0 percent) from three-point range; and 6-for-7 (85.7 percent) from the charity stripe. They turned the ball over 20 times for 26 New York Points.
“Our offense was bad at a time when we really needed it. Our pace was slow. Taking too long to get into things, and you know, I don’t think we were terribly hard to play against from that standpoint. And that was obviously a difficult time to be doing that,” said Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve. “This is a group that problem solves well together. They never think they are out of it. Their belief in themselves and their belief in each other is top-notch. And we know it’s a long game.”
“They are very experienced. We just knew what we had to clean up, get some things cleaned up and we did that then. Put ourselves in position, right where we wanted to be and just couldn’t get over the hump,” Reeve added.
Minnesota outscored New York 34-28 in points-in-the-paint, while the Liberty bested the Lynx 10-4 in second chance points and 19-13 in fast break points. The New York Liberty led the game from start to finish.
“We kept Minnesota to 27 points in the second half, that’s pretty good. And some of our scramble defense – we were down 1-0 so you know we should be playing like that,” Brondello said. “And now we can tidy up some things and they can tidy up some things as well too. We’ll look forward to playing another tough game on Wednesday.”
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 21 points. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 20; Sabrina Ionescu 15; and Jonquel Jones 14. Jones also led all rebounders with nine rebounds, while Stewart and Ionescu dished out five assists each to lead New York.
“Just like not letting history repeat itself and knowing that Game 1 happened but now, you know, how can we control Game 2?” asked Stewart. “I think honestly the thought process was [that] we were trying to be up a little bit more.”
“Like, not letting them get to the three-point line to set up their offense,” Stewart added. “and making them have to move just a little bit quicker than they want to.”
Minnesota was led by 16 points and eight rebounds from Napheesa Collier; Courtney Williams pitched in for 15 points and eight assists; and Alanna Smith scored 14 points in the effort.
“We’re really disappointed I think in how we played today but excited to go home and play in front of our crowd, and we have to respond. We have to come out playing better than we did in these two games,” said Collier. “It’s hard. Like we are both competing for a championship. You have to play with a level of desperation from the very beginning, and so that’s what we’re going to need to do to come out in Game 3.”+9+
The 2024 WNBA Finals series is now tied 1-1. Game 3 of the best-of-five series will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
