The New York Liberty claimed the first title in franchise history on Sunday night, ending a 28-season quest, with a 67-62 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals. In a fitting ending to one of the best Finals ever, the winner-take-all Game 5 went to overtime, where the Liberty did just enough to escape with the trophy.
The Liberty won despite scoring only 10 points in the first quarter, trailing by 12 in the first half, shooting 22 of 72 (30.5%) from the field, including 2 of 23 (8.6%) from behind the arc and getting a combined 18 points on 5 of 34 (14.7%) from Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. The latter was particularly poor, going 1 of 19 (5.3%) from the field in the worst shooting performance (minimum 15 shots) ever in playoff history.
So then exactly how did the Liberty manage to win despite all of those factors going against them? Let’s take a closer look:
Jones’ consistency
Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP, not for any show-stopping performances, but maintaining a level of consistency that the Liberty desperately needed. Game 5 was a perfect example. Jones didn’t do anything amazing, but she finished with a team-high 17 points and six rebounds on 5 of 10 from the…
