All the pressure is now on the Minnesota Lynx.
Sabrina Ionescu drained a 3-pointer from just inside the logo with 2.4 seconds left to lift the New York Liberty to an 80-77 win Wednesday in a nail-biting, heart-palpitating Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at Target Center.
Up 2-1 in the series, New York can win its first WNBA title Friday in Minneapolis.
Shadowed closely by Kayla McBride, Ionescu drained her long-distance trey to cap an 11-4 New York run over the final 2 minutes, 25 seconds, the second straight game it was clutch late. The Liberty scored the final 12 points Sunday to pull away in an 80-66 Game 2 win.
The Lynx will kick themselves for letting this one slide.
Minnesota led 73-69 with 2;25 to play, but Jonquel Jones drained a 3-point shot, Napheesa Collier missed for Minnesota, and Ionescu fed Jones underneath for a 74-73 Liberty lead with 1:31 to go, New York’s first lead since 5-2.
McBride missed on a drive for Minnesota, and an Ionescu 3 with 55.5 seconds left put the Liberty up 77-73.
Bridget Carleton scored with 34 seconds left for Minnesota before Ionescu missed a 3-pointer.
Out of a timeout with 20.6 seconds left, Collier was fouled and made both free throws to tie the game with 16 seconds left.
Collier led four Lynx players in double figures with 22 points to go with nine rebounds. McBride had 19 points, Carleton 14 and Courtney Williams 12.
In a role reversal, the Lynx led by 15 points in the opening quarter, a lead that was down to one to start the fourth quarter.
Stewart had a 3-point play to cap an 11-2 run over the final 2:12 of the third quarter to make it 62-61. A 3-point play by the Liberty center tied the game at 66, and after a McBride three, Stewart made it 69-all via a 3-point play with 6:18 left.
Stewart led New York with 30 points, including making all 10 free throws. Ionescu, Jones and Leonie Fiebich each had 13 points.
Minnesota led 28-18 after one quarter and 43-35 at the half, but the Lynx did not finish either quarter strong, with New York scoring seven of the final nine points in both.
The Lynx trailed by 15 in the first quarter of Game 1 and 17 in the second quarter of Game 2, making a much better start in Game 3 a must.
The Lynx got it.
Forcing New York into three of its eight first-quarter turnovers, Minnesota went on a 12-0 run, including a pair of McBride treys, for a 14-5 lead a bit more than three minutes in.
McBride finished with 10 points in the quarter and Bridget Carleton seven, and the Lynx led 28-18. The pair had a combined 16 points in Game 2.
Collier honored again
Coller and A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces were unanimously named to the 2024 All-WNBA First Team. It’s the second straight season and third time overall the Lynx forward has earned first-team honors.
She becomes the fourth Lynx player to receive the award multiple times, joining Maya Moore (2013-17), Lindsay Whalen (2011, 2013) and Katie Smith (2001, 2003).
Second to Wilson in the league’s Most Valuable Player voting, Collier ranked second in the league with 1.91 steals per game and third with a career-best 9.7 rebounds.
Wilson and Collier were joined on the first team by Stewart, Caitlin Clark of Indiana and Alyssa Thomas of Connecticut.
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