The New York Liberty are the champions of the Women’s National Basketball Association after defeating the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday night, 67-62 in overtime, in Game 5 of the best-of-five series.
It is the first championship in franchise history for the Liberty, which won the first-ever WNBA game on June 21, 1997.
The game featured several lead changes and controversial calls by officials. With 6.3 seconds left in the game, the Liberty trailed by two points. A controversial foul call sent Liberty forward Breanna Stewart to the free-throw line for two shots, ESPN reported. She hit both to tie the game and send it into the extra period. In overtime, the Liberty hit several clutch shots from Stewart, Nyara Sabally, and Leonie Fiebich to pull away and clinch the victory.
Jonquel Jones, the Liberty’s eighth-year veteran forward, was named the most valuable player in the Finals. She led the team in scoring in Game 5 and averaged 17.8 points per game in the series. Previously, she played on two teams that lost in the WNBA Finals.
“I could never dream of this,” said Jones. “You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here.”
Stewart, one of the Liberty’s star players, is a native of New York and had attended Liberty games when she was a child, according to ESPN. Winning a championship in her hometown was “an incredible feeling.”
“I’ve been manifesting this moment for a while. There’s no feeling like it,” Stewart said. “Credit to Minnesota, they gave us a tough series. The fans have been amazing everywhere we’ve gone. To bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t wait to continue to celebrate with the city. It’s going to be bonkers.”
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The WNBA soared in popularity this year, primarily due to the presence of basketball phenom Caitlin Clark. The former Iowa Hawkeye’s much-anticipated arrival into the league coincided with the WNBA’s record-breaking ratings.
“The WNBA delivered its most-watched regular season in 24 years, finished with its highest attendance in 22 years, and set records for digital consumption and merchandise sales in 2024,” read a release about the basketball league’s ratings this season.