NEW YORK — Dropping Game 1 at home was not what the New York Liberty had in mind entering the WNBA Finals.
Neither was squandering a 15-point advantage with 5:20 to play, the first time in 184 instances across WNBA postseason play that a team won after trailing by at least that many points in the final five minutes of regulation.
But on Saturday at practice in Brooklyn, the top-seeded Liberty indicated that while they’ve learned from their Game 1 mistakes, they are moving past the shock and pain of kicking off the series in such a heartbreaking fashion.
“Don’t panic, that’s the big thing,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s a series. We are disappointed because we didn’t close it out, but credit to Minnesota. They didn’t miss a shot down the stretch. We got too passive, and there are things we can learn from and be better for the next one.”
“It’s the Finals,” added Jonquel Jones. “We’re not about to quit after one game, especially a game that we were more than capable of…
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