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In a plot twist worthy of a Netflix special, the New York Liberty finally won their first WNBA championship on Sunday, defeating the Minnesota Lynx in a game that was just thrilling enough to justify the late-night snacks consumed while watching. The final score? A nail-biting 67-62 in overtime! The Liberty—a team famous for making finals look like a game of hot potato—decided it was about time to put that potato down and actually win. Who knew?
The Liberty entered the finals as the last remaining original WNBA franchise without a championship, kind of like that one friend who shows up at every party but never gets invited for a dance. They’ve lost in their previous five attempts, proving that sometimes, perseverance is just another word for “we have no life.” Last year, they managed to lose to the Las Vegas Aces—because why not aim for glitz and glamour when you can go home empty-handed?
Game 5 seemed like a precious episode of your favorite reality show—starting with the Lynx taking an early nine-point lead; meanwhile, the Liberty seemed to be quietly contemplating their life choices. By halftime, that lead had reduced to a mere seven points, because if there’s one thing New Yorkers are good at, it’s dramatic comebacks (and pizza). And boy, did the Liberty come back! In a third quarter that could only be described as a “how to rectify our poor decision-making” lesson, they outscored the Lynx 20-10.
In classic “this is why we can’t have nice things” fashion, the fourth quarter featured Breanna Stewart sinking two free throws with just five seconds left to tie the game—because why leave anything to chance? Minnesota had one final chance to turn from a lynx to a phoenix, but alas, they forgot that scoring is a core part of basketball and floundered in their last possession.
The Liberty won the final period 7 to 2, a score that only underscores how you can win a game by playing like a toddler who’s accidentally fallen into a candy store—endearingly chaotic. Notably, the free throw count was a tad unbalanced, with New York taking 25 compared to Minnesota’s meek eight, because who doesn’t love a good foul party?
Leading the charge for the Liberty was Jonquel Jones, who must have had the Lynx’s game plan on speed dial, finishing with a stat line of 17 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Stewart and Ionescu played more like a bad rom-com couple—full of promise but disappointing in execution—combining for 18 points on 5-of-34 shooting. Stewart, who’s apparently auditioning for a part in the “wasted potential” film, only managed to score 13 points, and Ionescu decided that 19 shots was just a good number to chase without the spoils of victory.
But let’s not forget our newly crowned Finals MVP, Jonquel Jones, who’s now forever enshrined in Liberty lore, which is honestly a more prestigious title than “Player of the Series.” Earlier in the playoffs, Ionescu made history with a clutch trey that gave New York a 2-1 series lead, proving that while superheroes might wear capes, she prefers three-point shots.
This rollercoaster series began with a shocking Minnesota upset, followed by the Liberty discovering their footing like a toddler learning to walk—clumsy but effective. The Lynx and their star Napheesa Collier, WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, were the heroic losers they knew they could be, scoring 22 points but also fouling out, leading to a final round of “whoops” that sealed their fate.
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