The New York Liberty defeated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 on Tuesday night, completing a two-game series sweep to become the first No. 8 seed in the WNBA’s 30-year history to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Jonquel Jones anchored the historic victory with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Breanna Stewart matched her with 21 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 18. The decisive Game 2 win propelled New York past a Minnesota squad that finished the regular season with the league’s best record at 33-11 but faltered under the Liberty’s defensive pressure.
How New York Built a Historic Playoff Upset
Entering the postseason under the WNBA’s current playoff format established in 2022—which pits the top eight teams directly against each other in the quarterfinals—the eighth-seeded Liberty faced a daunting matchup against regular-season front-runners. Mindful of a first-round exit last year against Phoenix after winning the series opener, New York seized control early.
The Liberty established a five-point lead after the opening quarter and extended their advantage before halftime by scoring nine of the final eleven points in the second period, taking a 49-37 lead into the locker room. The team’s interior presence set the tone from the opening tip.
Jones elaborated on her defensive focus in the paint. I feel like we had an advantage in our size against them, and I wanted to make my impact early,
she added.
Third-Quarter Physicality and the Turning Point for Minnesota
Tensions flared midway through the third quarter as the Liberty maintained a 52-39 lead with 6:26 remaining on the clock. Stewart drove hard to the basket and absorbed contact to the face from rookie guard Olivia Miles during a block attempt. Officials reviewed the sequence on the monitor and upgraded the infraction to a Flagrant-1 foul.
Stewart remained down on the floor for roughly a minute before walking to the free-throw line. A sellout crowd of 17,593 spectators showered her with chants of MVP!
as she calmly sank both free throws. Minnesota failed to trim the deficit to closer than seven points for the remainder of the contest.
Courtney Williams paced the Lynx with 18 points, while Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride each contributed 14 points. However, Minnesota struggled offensively as a unit, shooting just 38.2% from the field.
Williams acknowledged the uphill battle her team faced. You dig a hole for yourself and try to get out of it. We wanted to go on a run, but they had answers for everything,
she said.
Rookie Struggles and Coach Cheryl Reeve’s Message to Olivia Miles
The series proved difficult for Minnesota’s young backcourt star. Just a day after being named a unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year following a regular season where she averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 assists, Miles found herself stifled by New York’s length and rim protection.
Miles managed only five points on 1-of-8 shooting across 17 minutes on Tuesday night, missing seven of her eight attempts and spending the majority of the second half on the bench. Head coach Cheryl Reeve, who was named Coach of the Year on Monday, offered perspective and encouragement to her rookie after the elimination.
As I told her. When was the last time a rookie led the first-place team?
Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx head coach, via Los Angeles Times
Reeve emphasized the historic nature of Miles’ debut campaign despite the bitter end. That’s what we shared with her. This hurts for her,
Reeve noted.
Semifinal Outlook and What Lies Ahead for New York
With the historic sweep secured, the Liberty turn their attention toward the league semifinals, which begin on Sunday. New York awaits the winner of the opening-round series between the Atlanta Dream and the Washington Mystics, with Atlanta holding a 1-0 lead heading into Wednesday night’s matchup in Washington, D.C.
Reflecting on the team’s mindset and internal belief after breaking postseason ground, Jones emphasized that the job remains unfinished.
“It feels good, we understand who we are as a team. We’re not listening to outside noise, we understand that we can do a lot of great things. We feel like we can play with anybody and beat anybody. That’s the mindset we have moving forward. It feels good to make history. It had to be done for us to advance. It’s nice to say it’s been accomplished, but we have a lot of work to do.”
Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty forward, via Associated Press
