Game 5 of the WNBA Finals was an ugly, hard-fought game that required overtime and pushed both teams to the brink. In the end, the New York Liberty persevered and prevailed, winning 67-62 to earn their first WNBA title in franchise history.
The Liberty didn’t get the kind of games they expected from a couple of their stars. Sabrina Ionescu struggled, going 1-for-19 from the field and scoring just five points. Breanna Stewart scored 13 points on 4-for-15 shooting, but hit crucial free throws down the stretch to secure the championship. One player who did not disappoint was Jonquel Jones. She scored 17 points on 50 percent shooting, grabbed six rebounds and was named the Finals MVP.
Nyara Sabally, who has had a limited role in these Finals, also came up big on Sunday. She had 13 points and seven rebounds.
For Minnesota, it was the Naphessa Collier and Bridget Carleton show. Collier had 22 points and Carleton had 21. Unfortunately for the Lynx, no one else was in double figures, and they were unable to score in the final 1:50 minutes of the game.
The Lynx possessions in overtime:
Williams missed jumper
Williams missed layup
McBride turnover
Shot clock violation
Hiedeman turnover
Hiedeman turnover
Williams turnover
Carleton missed jumper
Carleton turnover— Jacob Rude…
