For the New York Liberty franchise, an opportunity at a championship was 28 years in the making.
For New York professional basketball, an opportunity at a championship was more than 50 years in the making.
But that was what was on the line on Sunday night at a sold-out Barclays Center as the Liberty did battle one more time against the Minnesota Lynx.
And when all was said and done, it took an additional five minutes, but it was well-worth it for the more than 18,000 on hand at the intersection of Atlantic and Flatbush. The Liberty prevailed in overtime by a final tally of 67-62 to claim its first-ever WNBA championship.
Things began auspiciously for the Lynx as it appeared Cheryl Reeve’s team was the more confident bunch as opposed to a Liberty assembling that appeared to be feeling the pressure of the raised stakes. With one frame in the books, it was Lynx 19 and Liberty 10.
The early portions of the second quarter appeared to be a continuation of what occurred in the opening frame. Minnesota had a lead of 32-20 at one point in the second stanza before a late New York rally closed the deficit to single digits. It was 34-27 at the half.
If the Liberty were to stage a comeback, it was going to start with a run in the third quarter. That happened. Improved offensive play (particularly from the bench) plus more intensity on the defensive side of the ball had the 18,000-plus at Barclays believing once again. The Liberty outscored the Lynx 20-10 and had a 47-44 advantage after three frames.
Late in the fourth quarter, New York’s advantage was 58-54. Minnesota managed to tie it all up at 58 and went ahead late in the fourth by a margin of 60-58. The Liberty drew a foul and made both free throws to knot the contest up at 60.
It was 60 all going into overtime. Determined to finish strong, the Lib scored the first five points of the period of free basketball. Seven of those nine points were tallied by New York and when the triple zeroes hit, the 2024 WNBA season concluded with championship hardware being bestowed upon the W’s flagship franchise.
Not only was championship hardware bestowed upon the W’s flagship franchise, MVP hardware was bestowed upon Jonquel Jones who was playing in her fourth WNBA Finals. After a pair of near-misses with the Connecticut Sun and with the 2023 Liberty rendition vs. the Las Vegas Aces, Jones captured her first championship with a 17-point, six-rebound performance.
The last couple of games may not have been the most notable for Breanna Stewart, but she still made plays when they mattered most. This is her third championship – on top of the two she won with the Seattle Storm. With her ex-Storm teammate and Long Island’s very own Sue Bird in the stands at Barclays, Stewart played all 45 minutes and finished with a double-double of 15 rebounds and 13 points. She also dished out four assists and blocked three Lynx shots.
For all the talk of the 2024 rookie class, it is only fitting that one of those standout rooks concludes her 2024 campaign with a ring. That was Leonie Fiebich who played nearly 40 minutes and scored 13 points, hauled in seven rebounds and collected a couple of steals. Also, she had the go-ahead triple early in overtime that put the Liberty ahead for good.
While the MVP for the Liberty this series was Jones, one can make a strong case that the MVP for this game was Nyara Sabally. Without her, we may be debating how New York came up short in another Finals. Sabally only played a bit over 17 minutes but made the most of that playing time. She scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Her second half play gave the Liberty a lift and the team rode that momentum throughout the second half and into overtime.
For the Lynx, it was a 22-point, seven-rebound, one-steal, two-block performance for Napheesa Collier. This may have been Collier’s first Finals – but she did not play like it. Collier will have another chance at a championship and she will likely come out victorious next time.
Minnesota also got a boost from the 21 points, five rebounds and five assists that came from Kayla McBride. The only unusual part of McBride’s stat line was that she was an uncharacteristic one out of six from 3-point range.
