The WNBA Finals have been exciting. That did not change on Sunday in Game 5 as the New York Liberty hosted the Minnesota Lynx. The Liberty were able to earn a Game 5 victory in the end, defeating the Lynx 67-62 in overtime. As a result, New York earned their first championship in franchise history.
Neither team had their best offensive game. For example, Game 4, which was completed without overtime, had a final score of 82-80. Game 5, however, saw a final score of just 67-62 despite overtime being needed. Nevertheless, the Liberty found a way to get the job done.
The Lynx and Liberty had different offensive approaches in the contest. Minnesota stars Napheesa Collier and Kayla McBride led the way, but they received little help from their teammates. Meanwhile, Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggled immensely but other players stepped up around them.
Liberty players step up amid Sabrina Ionescu's offensive woes
Ionescu's struggles were impossible to ignore during Sunday's Game 5. In fact, she had only five points and made one total shot. She ultimately went 1-19 from the field and 1-10 from beyond the arc. Still, the Liberty's depth was evident in the game which played a big role in the victory.
Ionescu had a number of big moments in the series, but Sunday was certainly not her best game from a scoring standpoint. However, her teammates had her back.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 17 points. Leonie Fiebich added 13 points. Breanna Stewart was able to record 13 points even though she went 4-15 from the field and 0-3 on her three-point attempts.
Nyara Sabally was the difference-maker for the Liberty. She not only played quality defense, but Sabally added 13 points and seven rebounds.
Again, Ionescu would surely like to forget her offensive performance on Sunday. She will not forget winning the WNBA championship, though.
Liberty win the WNBA Finals
As mentioned, the Liberty's 2024 championship is their first in franchise history. New York had made deep postseason runs in previous years, but they had not earned a championship until Sunday night. 2024 was a great overall season for the team after finishing the regular season with the best record.
The Lynx deserve credit for challenging the Liberty. The 2024 WNBA Finals came down to the final minute in overtime in Game 5, as the Liberty had to work extremely hard for the victory.