The game's not over until the final buzzer sounds. The Minnesota Lynx dug themselves in a hole at the start of Game 1 of the 2024 WNBA Finals. They climbed their way out of it but couldn't quite get over the hump and found themselves down 15 minutes with 5:20 left to play in the final quarter.
You're not alone if you assumed the New York Liberty would go up 1-0, but the best team in the regular season fell apart. The Lynx clawed their way back and took the lead with a phenomenal four-point play from Courtney Williams with 5.5 seconds left.
They've been down but not out, Courtney Williams gets the and-1 after being fouled beyond the arc 😱#WNBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/ohHOLP9upG
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 11, 2024
New York caught a break in the game's final seconds when the referees called a jump ball when the ball hit Breanna Stewart's foot before it went out of bounds. The Liberty took possession, and Stewart was fouled down low, going up for a shot as the final buzzer sounded. She hit her first free throw to tie the game at 84 but missed the second to take the lead.
All of the momentum was on Minnesota's side in overtime. Napheesa Collier hit the game-deciding shot and locked Stewart down on the defensive end. The Lynx stunned the Barclays Crowd with a 95-93 win.
Lynx make history in unbelievable Game 1 comeback win over Liberty
Minnesota was down by as many as 18 points. The Lynx tied the largest comeback in WNBA Finals history. Teresa Weatherspoon and the Liberty came back from being down 18 points in Game 2 of the 1999 WNBA Finals against the Houston Comets. The tables turned on New York 25 years later.
The Lynx trailed by 18 points in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals and won.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 11, 2024
That is tied for the largest comeback win in WNBA Finals history (Liberty vs Comets in Game 2 of 1999 Finals).
Teams that win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals go on to win the series 74% of the time. pic.twitter.com/oc2NKwllbY
As if an 18-point comeback isn't impressive enough, the Lynx made WNBA Finals history by becoming the only team to win after being down by 15+ points in the game's final five minutes. Teams down by that many at the five-minute mark were 0-183. Minnesota accomplished the unthinkable.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo: The Lynx trailed by 15 points with fewer than five minutes remaining
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) October 11, 2024
They are the first team in WNBA postseason history to win a game after trailing by 15+ points in the final five minutes of regulation
Entering tonight, teams were 0-183 in that scenario
🤯
If the Lynx are the last team standing at the end of the WNBA Finals, they will win a record fifth championship. Minnesota will make history by that alone, but the team will also be the last to win a championship in the best-of-five WNBA Finals format. Starting next year, the WNBA Finals will be a best-of-seven series.
Game 1 couldn't have been more exciting, but let's not forget that the series is far from over. The Liberty suffered a crushing loss and should come out with a vengeance on Sunday. They'll need to be at their best to beat the Lynx. You can't slip up against Minnesota, even with a double-digit lead. Let's see how New York responds.