New York Liberty win first WNBA Championship title, down Lynx in dramatic Game 5
New York Liberty become city’s first championship-winning basketball team since Knicks in 1973
New York Liberty won their first WNBA Championship in team history on Sunday, beating Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in a breathtaking winner-takes-all Game 5 that went to overtime.
In front of a raucous 18,090-strong crowd, that include the likes of film director Spike Lee, Breanna Stewart sunk two free throws with 10 seconds left on the clock to pull Liberty clear in a game that ended 60-60 in regulation.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty, who trailed 34-27 at half-time, with 17 points. Jones, who was the only player on the Liberty to compete in a Game 5 before when she was with Connecticut in 2019, was named Finals MVP.
“I could never dream of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here,” she said.
The Liberty, one of the league’s original franchises, have made the WNBA Finals five times before, losing each one, including last season. This time they wouldn’t be denied, although it took an extra five minutes.
Victory gave the city of New York its first basketball title since 1973 when the Knicks won the NBA championship.
