Liberty Upset Lynx
New York Liberty Stun Top-Seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75 in Game 1
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The eighth-seeded New York Liberty stunned the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75 in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round WNBA playoff series, moving within one win of an upset. Breanna Stewart led New York with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Leonie Fiebich added 16 points. Minnesota struggled from 3-point range, and Napheesa Collier and Natasha Howard fouled out; rookie Olivia Miles had 11 points and one assist in her playoff debut. The Liberty’s defense pressured Miles and helped them pull away in the fourth quarter. New York can eliminate Minnesota in Game 2 on Tuesday, while the Lynx need a win to force a deciding game.
Key Points
1
The Liberty were pursuing a rare upset: no top seed had failed to advance from the first round since the WNBA adopted its current playoff format in 2022. Jonquel Jones described the mission as “to make history.”
2
Stewart also contributed two steals and two blocks, shooting 11-for-18 from the floor. Her 34 points were two shy of the Liberty’s franchise record for points in a playoff game.
3
Nia Brodie led Minnesota’s scoring with 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench; Kayla McBride finished with 14 points despite missing her first five 3-point attempts.
4
New York finished the regular season 26-18 and was just two years removed from winning its first WNBA championship in a five-game Finals against Minnesota. Last season, the Liberty were eliminated in the first round, while the Lynx also fell to a lower-seeded team.
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