Lynx-Liberty WNBA Finals Game 2 preview: Series fires back up after a dramatic opening

The Minnesota Lynx rallied from 18 points down to win in overtime, but events may have inspired New York Liberty superstar Breanna Stewart.

The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 12, 2024 at 9:41PM
The Lynx players celebrate as a group after their overtime win Thursday. (Jeff Wheeler/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

WNBA Finals

Best-of-five series

Thursday: Lynx 95, Liberty 93 (OT)

Sunday: at Barclays Center (2 p.m., ABC)

Wednesday: at Target Center in Minneapolis (7 p.m., ESPN)

Friday (if necessary): at Target Center (7 p.m., ESPN)

Sunday, Oct. 20 (if necessary): at Barclays Center, (7 p.m., ESPN)

Game 2 preview

Opening bell: Matching the best comeback in WNBA Finals history, the Lynx — down 18 at one point — rallied for the 95-93 overtime victory. The team was down 11 with 3 minutes, 23 seconds to play in regulation but finished the fourth quarter 12-1 and outlasted the Liberty in the OT period. Minnesota outscored New York 23-10 over the final eight-plus minutes of the game, with Napheesa Collier (eight) and Courtney Williams (13) scoring 21 of those. The Lynx held the Liberty to 37.9% shooting, pushing their record to 181-11 since 2011 when holding an opponent under 40%.

Watch her: Expect a very motivated Breanna Stewart. The Liberty star scored 18 points in Game 1 but made just six of 21 shots and two of six three-pointers. She went to the line for two free throws with 0.8 seconds left in regulation and her team down a point, but she made just one, leading to overtime. She had a good look at a 4-footer in the closing moments of OT that would have tied the game.

Injuries: Neither team reports any injuries.

Forecast: The Lynx took a first-quarter punch in Game 1 and came back. But record-setting rallies don’t happen that often in the playoffs, so the Lynx will have to be better from the start.

about the writer

Kent Youngblood

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Kent Youngblood has covered sports for the Star Tribune for more than 20 years.

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