Liberty beat Lynx 87-71 to sweep, first No. 8 seed to top No. 1
New York's two-game sweep of top-seeded Minnesota is the first time a No. 8 seed has eliminated a No. 1 seed in a WNBA first round.
What we know
- The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 on Tuesday to win their best-of-three first-round series 2-0, according to the WNBA. [2]
- The WNBA said the Liberty are the first No. 8 seed in league history to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the first round. [1] [2]
- Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Breanna Stewart had 21 points, and Sabrina Ionescu had 18 points and seven assists in the clincher, per the WNBA. [2]
- In Game 1 on Sunday in Minneapolis, Stewart scored 34 points in a 91-75 Liberty win, according to ESPN and The Associated Press. [5] [6]
- Not yet confirmed: The sources do not say who Minnesota or New York will face next.
The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 on Tuesday to sweep their best-of-three first-round WNBA playoff series, the league said in a post on X. [2]
The WNBA said the Liberty, the No. 8 seed, are the first team from that seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the opening round in league history. Minnesota was the top seed. [1][2]
Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 9 of 14 from the field, the WNBA said. Breanna Stewart also had 21 points, with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Sabrina Ionescu had 18 points, seven assists and four 3-pointers. [2]
Stewart set the tone in Game 1 on Sunday in Minneapolis, when the Liberty won 91-75. She finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, according to ESPN and The Associated Press. [5][6]
After Game 1, Ionescu called Stewart "a walking mismatch." Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said her team "just fouled, fouled, fouled" in the second half. Collier and Howard both fouled out. [5][6]
Stewart warned after Game 1 that the Liberty should not relax. Last season, New York won the opener of its first-round series against Phoenix, then lost the next two games and was eliminated. "This doesn't mean relax," Stewart said. [5][6]
The AP reported that Jones played through an ankle injury in Game 1 and scored eight points. She scored 21 in the series-clinching game. [6][2]
RECEIPTS · 4 SOURCES
- 1POST ON X · @WNBA (WNBA)🗽 NEW YORK MAKES HISTORY 🗽 The @nyliberty are the first No.8 seed in WNBA history to eliminate a No.1 seed in the First Round, defeating MinOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 2POST ON X · @WNBA (WNBA)HISTORY IN NEW YORK 🗽 The @nyliberty defeat Minnesota 87-71 to take the First Round 2-0, becoming the first No. 8 seed to overcome a No. 1 sOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 5REPORT · ESPNLiberty's Stewart, 'walking mismatch,' dominates in upset of LynxOpen source ↗ Archived copy
- 6REPORT · The Associated Press via ESPNBreanna Stewart's 34 points leads the Liberty in Game 1, and pushes the top-seeded Lynx to the brinkOpen source ↗ Archived copy