Lynx make thrilling comeback and stun Liberty in overtime in Game 1

A sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center fell silent Thursday night as the New York Liberty trailed the Minnesota Lynx by one point in the final moments of Game 1 in the WNBA Finals. Necks craned to see the jumbotron where a freeze frame of the final 0.8 seconds of the game was recorded. After meeting for a video review, the game officials determined that Napheesa Collier had fouled Breanna Stewart on the final play of the game, sending Stewart to the line. She made her first shot from the charity stripe but missed her second, sending the contest into overtime at 84-84.

From there, Minnesota cruised to a 95-93 victory, stealing Game 1 from New York on its home floor in one of the greatest comebacks in WNBA Finals history. It was a stunning turnaround in a competition in which Liberty led most of the way – at one point by as many as 18 points.

“We just took it on the chin,” Stewart said after the game. “This is a series… but the good thing is we have another game on Sunday.”

In the opening frames, New York looked exactly like the “corporate” machine that Sandy Brondello described hours before the warning, surging to a burst of 32 in the first quarter. (Thirty-two is the most points Minnesota has allowed in the first quarter all season.) On the other side of the ball, the Lynx looked like a team that had just wrapped up a physical five-game series 48 hours earlier. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve downplayed the importance of Lynx’s brutal travel schedule and lack of rest before Game 1, but there’s no doubt the typically tenacious group looked tired.

Minnesota, however, miraculously regained its momentum after halftime, with the Lynx pulling within two points of the Liberty in the third quarter. New York managed to keep the Lynx in check until the final frame, when Minnesota delivered – thanks in large part to clutch play from Courtney Williams – and the Liberty were unable to execute, with Stewart’s shot falling short.

“I thought we deviated from our principles of play,” Brondello said after the game. “We had a great first quarter and then they turned up the energy. They surpassed us.”

New York will want that loss back for several reasons, not least because it was able to get Jonquel Jones into action – something that proved difficult against Minnesota this year. Jones has failed to record at least 10 points in the Liberty’s three previous losses to the Lynx this season. On Thursday night, she recorded a double-double, recording 24 points and 10 rebounds. Normally, as does Jones, so does Liberty. It must be a little concerning for New York that Game 1 is an exception to that trend.

“JJ had an incredible game,” Stewart said. “The way she was aggressive from start to finish is what we need.”

The Lynx, meanwhile, were simply dominant down the stretch, refusing to go away despite losing the rebounding battle 44-32. Collier, Williams and Kayla McBride all finished with over 20 points while Minnesota shot 50.7% from the field. On the other hand, the Liberty offense began to falter as the game progressed, shooting just 37.8% from the floor.

“I think that defines our team,” Reeve said of the group’s Game 1 comeback, “in terms of getting through tough times.”

If last year’s finalists had the vision of the league trophy within their reach, Game 1 served as a stark reminder that securing home-field advantage is not the same as winning a championship. Liberty didn’t play their best basketball on Thursday night, far from it. But Minnesota also showed tremendous courage, turning any preconceived notions about this series upside down. At 1-0 in the series, the Lynx have the Liberty on the ropes and look infinitely more balanced than their collective Finals experience suggests.