How the Lynx rallied to defeat the Liberty and win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals

Aren’t you entertained?

A four-point game in the final 6 seconds of the fourth quarter. A missed free throw that could have won in regulation time. The first team in WNBA postseason history to win after trailing by more than 15 points with less than 5 minutes to play.

Overtime in the opening game of the WNBA Finals.

And now the Minnesota Lynx stole Game 1 in Brooklyn, beating the top-seeded New York Liberty 95-93 in overtime on Thursday.

The Lynx trailed by as many as 18 points in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. But the No. 2 seed rallied to take a one-point lead, 84-83, with Courtney Williams’ four-point play with 5.1 seconds left.

But it wasn’t over yet. With 0.8 seconds left in the game, Breanna Stewart converted one of two free throws to tie the game and force overtime – only the sixth WNBA Finals game to require overtime.

Williams added five more points – she led the Lynx with 23 – and secured the win.

New York fell to 0-6 all-time in Game 1 of the Finals, but the Liberty appeared to be in control after putting up 32 points in the opening period.

ESPN examines how Minnesota staged an improbable rally to take a 1-0 lead in Game 2 on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in Brooklyn.

How did the Lynx pull off one of the greatest comebacks in WNBA playoff history?

Call it faith. Call it resilience. Call it mental toughness. Minnesota had everything it needed to win a game that seemed lost many times.

Trailing by as many as 18, the Lynx pulled off the greatest comeback in WNBA Finals history, thanks largely to Williams, who scored 12 of her 23 points in the final 2:33 of regulation and overtime. Their four-point play gave Minnesota its first lead with 5.1 seconds left in regulation. It was the first four-point, free-throw game in the final 10 seconds to give the team the lead in WNBA history, whether in the regular season or playoffs.

What’s notable is that this play came from an offensive rebound and a pass to the perimeter from Alanna Smith. It was just one of five offensive rebounds for Minnesota — New York had 20 — but it was the biggest of the game.

What does the Lynx win in Game 1 mean for the rest of the series?

Not only did the Lynx win in shocking fashion, it also did it on the road. That gives Minnesota a big mental advantage – since the comeback – and historic. The winner of Game 1 of the Finals has won 20 of the 27 WNBA titles (the last to lose the series after winning Game 1 was the Los Angeles Sparks in 2017).

The Liberty must find a way to recover from a loss they probably still can’t believe happened. New York can focus on the fact that Jonquel Jones scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds (this was only the Liberty’s fourth loss in 33 games in which Jones had a double-double) and that Leonie Fiebich was 5 of 9 3- scoring points.

If performances like this can be repeated and just one of Stewart (6 of 21 from the field) or Sabrina Ionescu (8 of 26, although 3 of 9 from beyond the arc) shoots better, the Liberty can recover.

It’s a long series. As we saw on Thursday, things can change in an instant. But if the Lynx win their fifth championship, this game will be remembered around Minnesota and the league and may haunt New York for a long time.

What adjustments need to be made by both teams?

Despite being dominated on the glass, Minnesota won 44-32. New York scored 29 more shots thanks to 20 offensive rebounds. The outcome would have been different if New York had shot better than 37.8% from the field.

A lot of that is thanks to Minnesota’s defense. Stewart and Ionescu combined to shoot 14 for 47. Stewart’s missed free throw at the end of regulation and his missed layup at the buzzer in overtime were almost as big as Williams’ heroics. Napheesa Collier had 21 points on 10-for-16 shooting, but she also showed why she was named WNBA Defensive Player of the Year with her work on Stewart, who was just 1 of 9 when Collier was the primary defender. Collier also blocked six shots, the third-most in Finals history, including one each to Jones and Stewart late in the fourth quarter.

But Minnesota used plenty of secondary help to contain Stewart. New York coach Sandy Brondello will have to counterattack in Game 2 to give her star a more open look.

How can New York cope with this loss?

It will still be two and a half days for New York until Game 2 begins. After a disappointing loss to the Las Vegas Aces in last year’s WNBA Finals, this will test the mental toughness of the Liberty players.

What might help is if all film sessions in the next 48 hours were focused on the first quarter. The Liberty dominated the first 10 minutes and led by 13. Their 32 points were the most they have scored in a quarter this season. The offense seemed smooth and efficient. Jones was dominant early and Ionescu hit two three-pointers late.

The offense had good moments the rest of the game but faltered in the fourth quarter and overtime. It’s always surprising to see comebacks like Thursday’s. That makes it all the more shocking to see an experienced team like the Liberty lose a game like this.