The New York Liberty’s long wait for a WNBA championship has finally come to an end. After 28 seasons of near-misses and heartbreak, the Liberty captured their first title, becoming the last of the WNBA’s original franchises to claim the championship. In a thrilling and hard-fought Game 5 on Sunday, New York edged out the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime at Barclays Center, ending one of the most intense Finals in recent memory.
It was a fitting conclusion to a series defined by grit and resilience. The game itself wasn’t always pretty, and the Liberty struggled to find their rhythm early on, but they persevered. Leading the charge was Jonquel Jones, the team’s unheralded star, who earned Finals MVP honors for her standout performance throughout the series. Jones, appearing in her fourth Finals, finally secured the elusive title and added Finals MVP to her resume, finishing Game 5 with 17 points and six rebounds, providing the steady hand New York needed in the clutch.
The Liberty’s journey to victory was anything but smooth. They stumbled out of the gates, with their offensive leaders Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu failing to score in the first quarter. The team shot just 27.8% from the field, managing only 10 points in the opening period—their lowest first-quarter output of the season.
The Barclays Center crowd, which had been buzzing in anticipation, grew quieter as the Lynx took control, leading by as much as seven points at halftime. Minnesota’s defense was suffocating, led by Napheesa Collier, who dominated early with 14 points and five rebounds. The Lynx shot an impressive 45.7% in the first half and appeared poised to spoil New York’s championship dreams.
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“I think some nerves are good,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said before Game 5. But the early signs weren’t promising as New York’s nerves seemed to get the better of them. The Liberty entered the half without a single made three-pointer, and Ionescu, one of their most reliable scorers, hadn’t registered a field goal. Still, the Liberty trailed by only seven, thanks in part to their defensive effort and a lack of turnovers.
The second half saw a different New York team emerge. Stewart, the league MVP, stepped up defensively, grabbing 15 rebounds and making key stops in the paint. But the true catalyst for the Liberty’s comeback was Nyara Sabally, who came off the bench and provided a spark, scoring nine of her 13 points in the third quarter.
Her energy helped New York erase the deficit and take their first lead of the game with just over three minutes left in the third. The Liberty outscored Minnesota 20-10 in the quarter, heading into the fourth with a 47-43 advantage.
As the fourth quarter progressed, the Barclays Center crowd roared into chants of “We all we need, we all we got,” signaling that they were ready to push the Liberty to the finish line. Ionescu, who had been quiet for most of the game, finally found her moment.
She sank her first field goal of the night—a crucial three-pointer with three minutes left, narrowing the gap in a tight game. Stewart, too, stepped up in the final seconds, hitting two clutch free throws that sent the game into overtime after missing critical shots earlier in the series.
In the extra period, the Liberty found the spark they needed. Leonie Fiebich drained the team’s only other three-pointer of the game, giving New York a much-needed boost. Meanwhile, Collier, who had been Minnesota’s rock all season, finished with 22 points and seven rebounds but fouled out in the final seconds of overtime, sealing the Lynx’s fate. Without their star, Minnesota couldn’t mount a final comeback.
Reflecting on the game, Jones shared her thoughts before the critical Game 5: “I think it is going to come down to the end again, and the team that executes well and isn’t playing on their back foot is going to be the team that wins.” Her prediction proved accurate, as New York’s poise and execution in the final moments carried them to victory.
For the Liberty, the win was the culmination of years of perseverance, heartbreak, and rebuilding. After watching the Las Vegas Aces celebrate a championship on their home court just a year ago, it was now New York’s turn to bask in the glory.
As confetti rained down on the Barclays Center crowd, it marked not just the end of a title drought, but the beginning of a new era for a team that had finally reached the pinnacle of the WNBA.
