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Stewart helps Liberty steal Game 2

New York even as WNBA Finals shift to Minnesota

October 15, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle
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It took the largest crowd in Liberty history and a WNBA Finals-record seven steals by All-Star forward Breanna Stewart to get New York even in its quest to bring home its first-ever championship.

“The moment (Game 1) ended Thursday night, I was looking forward to Sunday to change things. Change the narrative a little bit,” Stewart ceded.

She certainly did that.

The two-time league and Finals Most Valuable Player amassed 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a blocked shot and seven of New York’s 13 steals, pacing the Liberty to an 80-66 triumph over the Minnesota Lynx in front of 18,046 fans at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

“I wanted to make it difficult for all the players I was going against,” added Stewart, who missed a potential game-sealing free throw in the final second of Friday’s series-opening 95-93 overtime loss on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.

While that sellout crowd of 17,732 endured a brutal heartbreaking defeat, the most fans ever packed into Barclays for a WNBA game left the building feeling much better about things as this best-of-five series shifts to Minnesota’s Target Center for the next two games.

“I’m gonna come out and be the same that I was (in Game 1), and be obviously better,” Stewart said. “But throughout this entire process, my team has my back every step.

“(I) was just excited to have another opportunity to go to battle with them because we have a lot of fun in everything that we do.”

The Liberty (1-1) never trailed in Game 2 after squandering an 18-point advantage on Thursday.

They took a a 31-21 lead behind Sabrina Ionescu’s 12 first-quarter points. But the Lynx (1-1) began to reel New York in just as they had in Game 1.

Minnesota shaved the deficit to 68-66 with 3:21 left in regulation before Stewart and her teammates made sure Brooklynites danced instead of sulked on their way to the subway.

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton began the game-ending 12-0 run with a 3-pointer and Stewart hit 1-of-2 at the charity stripe before Leonie Fiebich drained a long-range bomb to give the Liberty a 75-66 cushion with 1:30 to play.

“B hit a huge shot for us that changed the momentum of the game, but just continued to extend the lead and I think they called the timeout a little bit after that,” noted Ionescu.

“But it was huge for us and you know we believe in her. She knows that this was a huge game.”

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 20 points and celebrated her team’s Game 2 win over Minnesota at Barclays Center Sunday. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

Stewart added a tip-in and Jonquel Jones’ basket following a free throw by Ionescu settled matters.

“Just like, not letting history kind of repeat itself and knowing that, you know, Game 1 happened. But now, you know, how can we control Game 2?” Stewart pondered.

The Liberty controlled the Lynx by forcing 10 turnovers in each half, winning the battle of the boards, 34-27, including 10 offensive caroms, and hitting nearly 46% (11-of-24) of their shots from beyond the arc.

Laney-Hamilton finished with a personal Finals-best 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including a quartet of 3-pointers.

“I think it gives me a little bit of momentum going through the series,” said Laney-Hamilton, who missed six weeks during the regular season while recovering from surgery on her right knee.

“I’ve been struggling physically and mentally as I’ve been going through everything. … Finally starting to feel good and capitalize on it.”

Ionescu had 15 points and Jones added 14 and nine boards for the Liberty, who soaked in the raucous home crowd, which included celebrity row appearances by Katie Couric, Fat Joe, Jennifer Hudson and Stewart’s college coach from the University of Connecticut, Geno Auriemma.

“It was really loud,” said New York coach Sandy Brondello. “It was great. …The winner is women’s basketball.”

Napheesa Collier had 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals and Courtney Williams added 15 points for the Lynx, who only managed 27 points after intermission.

“Our offense was bad at a time when we really needed it. Our pace was slow,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve told the Associated Press.

“Taking too long to get into things, and you know, I don’t think we were terribly hard to play against from that standpoint. And that was obviously a difficult time to be doing that.”

Game 3 is Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET, and the teams will meet again in Minnesota Friday night.

Game 5, if necessary, will be back in Brooklyn Sunday.

“We knew we needed a bounce back and it was a big bounce-back game,” Brondello said Sunday.

Minnesota star Napheesa Collier was blanketed by New York defenders as the Liberty evened the WNBA Finals at one game apiece. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

GIVE ME LIBERTY: Stewart has scored at least 10 points in a WNBA record 40 consecutive postseason games. She won her two Finals MVPs as a member of the Seattle Storm. … Laney-Hamilton hit seven of her first eight shots in Game 2 after managing no more than 10 points in the Liberty’s previous seven playoff games this year. … Ionescu has made at least one 3-pointer in 81 consecutive games, including the postseason. That’s the longest streak in the history of the league. … Game 3 will be televised by ESPN, as will the remainder of the series. … With the Liberty out of Brooklyn, the Nets hosted the Washington Wizards in their preseason home opener Monday, rolling to a 131-92 triumph behind 17 points from Cam Thomas.





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