New York Liberty Playoff Win Puts Lynx on Brink
AP reports Breanna Stewart scored 34 points in New York’s 91-75 Game 1 victory.
Basketball Daily
New York Liberty moved one win from eliminating the WNBA’s top seed with a 91-75 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis on September 27. The WNBA’s official recap confirms the Game 1 result, which gives New York a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three first round.
For Minnesota, the consequence is immediate: its next game is an elimination game on the road. For New York, the result creates a chance to turn an eighth-place regular-season finish into a semifinal berth without needing a deciding trip back to Target Center.
Stewart puts Minnesota under pressure
Breanna Stewart finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, according to AP reporting carried by MPR News. She made 11 of 18 shots and added two steals and two blocks, delivering production across every major statistical category.
Much of that work came against Napheesa Collier, who guarded Stewart for most of the afternoon. Collier and Natasha Howard both fouled out, while rookie point guard Olivia Miles finished with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and one assist.
Minnesota’s leading scorer was reserve Nia Brodie, with 16 points in 19 minutes. That combination leaves the Lynx with two practical priorities for the return game: more effective creation from their starting group and enough foul discipline to keep their frontcourt available.
The eighth seed came with warning signs
The standings suggested a substantial gap: Minnesota finished 33-11, compared with New York’s 26-18. But the WNBA’s first-round preview documented a matchup that had already favored the lower seed, with the Liberty winning two of the three regular-season meetings.
New York won 99-86 on July 3, lost 90-85 on July 11, then won 93-81 on September 18. Sunday’s result therefore extends an established pattern against this opponent, rather than providing the first evidence that the Liberty can trouble Minnesota.
The most recent regular-season meeting also offers a useful tactical reference. In the Liberty’s official account of that September victory, New York made 13 of 29 three-pointers and converted 19 Minnesota turnovers into 21 points.
Stewart had 24 points and 10 rebounds that night, while Jonquel Jones supplied 18 points and 10 rebounds. Those contributions show why Minnesota’s response cannot be limited to a single defensive assignment: New York has already beaten the Lynx with interior production, perimeter shooting and points created by defensive pressure.
A short series changes the stakes
Game 2 is scheduled for September 29 at 8:30 p.m. ET in New York. A Minnesota victory would force Game 3 on October 1 in Minneapolis; a Liberty victory would end the series. Minnesota’s seven-win regular-season advantage now matters only if it can extend the series and use home court in a decider.
The broader context adds weight to the opportunity. These franchises met in the 2024 Finals, when New York won its first championship, before both saw their 2025 postseason runs ended by Phoenix.
The next test is whether Minnesota can adjust while playing with no margin for another loss. Watch how the Lynx generate cleaner opportunities for Miles and manage Stewart’s scoring without allowing New York’s supporting players to dictate the game.