The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 on Sunday night in Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals, winning their first title in franchise history and ending a 28-season quest. In a fitting end to one of the greatest finals of all time, the winner-take-all Game 5 went into overtime, and Liberty did enough to take home the trophy.
Despite scoring just 10 points in the first quarter and trailing by 12 in the first half, Liberty made 22 of 72 (30.5%) from the field and 23 from behind the arc. He won a total of 18 shots, including two middle shots (8.6%). Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu scored 5 out of 34 points (14.7%). The latter did particularly poorly, going 1-of-19 (5.3%) from the field, the worst shooting performance in playoff history (minimum 15).
So how was Liberty able to win despite all these factors working against them? Let’s take a closer look:
jones consistency
Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP because, while his performance wasn’t spectacular, he maintained a level of consistency that the Liberty desperately needed. Game 5 was a perfect example of that. Jones didn’t do anything amazing, but he finished with a team-high 17 points and six rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 from the free-throw line.
Jones was especially important in the first half. While the rest of the team couldn’t buy buckets, Jones went inside for high-percentage looks that kept Liberty within range. It was mainly thanks to Jones that the lead was only seven points in the first half, and Jones scored 10 of the 27 points.
Liberty was the more talented team in this matchup, but they didn’t always live up to their potential. Jones didn’t change along the way. It spoke volumes in Game 5 that Liberty repeatedly went to Jones out of timeouts when they really needed a bucket.
“I’m really, really proud of J.J.,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “I love coaching her. I love her personality, what she brings every day. She was huge for us. It wasn’t a pretty game today. But , we were trying to get her established early. On both ends, she worked her butt off.
“Normally I don’t like her playing 42 minutes, but she continued to compete because it was very important. She knew how she needed to help us. She’s been huge for us. She’s been huge for us all season, but she’s amazing, I’m so proud of you, you deserve this.”
jumped off the bench
Nyara Sabally, who enters Sunday’s Game 5, is perhaps best known as the younger sister of former No. 2 overall pick Sato Sabally. That’s no longer the case. In the best and most important performance of her career, Sabally had 13 points and seven rebounds on 5-of-7 field goals (71.4%).
She earned a spot on the podium in the postgame press conference, and the Barclays Center crowd chanted her name during the trophy ceremony. This is just the fourth time in his career Sabally has reached double digits between the regular season and playoffs. And before this game, she had only scored 11 points in 37 minutes in this series.
In a game where most players seemed to be feeling the weight of the moment, Sabally hit the court with a burst of carefree energy. She made several big baskets in the third quarter as the Liberty team made a game-changing run that crashed beautifully against the glass. Her most important play came late in overtime, when she made an incredible recovery to block Nafeesa Collier’s attempt to make a layup to make it one point.
“I think the great thing about Nee is that when you look back at the semifinal series, she didn’t really play,” Stewart said. “Then she prepared, knew her turn would come in the finals, and persisted. When we needed her the most, because the X-factor tonight was you, Nee. .”
“Listen, we were tired. We were trying to do the best we could. We needed like a spark, and she was it. She trusted the process. And we’re very proud of Nee.”
stand in line
Liberty is primarily a jump shooting team. During the regular season, they ranked first in the league in 3-pointers made per game (10.1), seventh in points in the paint per game (35.9) and ninth in the league in free throw percentage (.250). , ranked 9th in free shot percentage. Throw line (16.3).
In Game 5, they flipped the script. Their jump shots weren’t falling. He made 2-of-23 3-pointers and only three total shots from outside the paint. So they moved the ball inside against the undersized Lynx and fought to the line for easy points. .
They shot 25 free throws, the third-most in a single game all season, while the Lynx shot just eight. Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve was furious that the title had been “stolen” from her team by officials.. Not surprisingly, Brondello thought the referee was “pretty fair.”
Sure, there were some questionable calls, including Stewart being sent to the line after hitting the game-winning free throw with 5.2 seconds left. But Liberty forced this issue, and you may get the benefit of the doubt when it happens.
“I went in with a game plan that said it didn’t matter,” Stewart said. “I want to play defense. I want to rebound. I want to do the little things and I want to continue to be aggressive and make shots.”
“But if they’re not down, they’re not down. I’m not going to let that affect the way I do things. So it’s about continuing to be there for the team. We didn’t talk about this, but… Before I even played.” (The game was tied) I missed two free throws and I was like, this is it, (assistant coach) Olaf (Lange) and I have no choice but to be here. We talked about being a python, it’s like knowing when to attack. At that moment I was just thinking about becoming a python. ”
