NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart and her teammates from the New York Liberty are feeling optimistic as they prepare to bounce back from their recent loss to the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Stewart reflected on a pivotal moment from the game—the missed free throw that could have clinched victory for her team. Upon reviewing her form, she determined that sometimes, shots just don’t go in. “I’m onto the next,” she stated, indicating her focus on moving forward. Stewart emphasized that this is a series and her team relies on her.
The two-time MVP asserted that her team must muster their best effort on Sunday for Game 2 of the best-of-five matchup. She encouraged her teammates to adopt a short-term memory approach, urging them to shake off the disappointment quickly and prepare for the next challenge. “We came in yesterday addressing things, today addressing things, and just really fine-tuning and getting ready to go again. We’re all kind of yearning for another opportunity,” she noted during Saturday’s practice.
Following the narrow 95-93 overtime defeat, Stewart received encouraging messages from various individuals, including former teammate Sue Bird, all sharing a common sentiment: “Bounce back.” Sabrina Ionescu, the team guard who faced difficulties shooting against the Lynx, echoed that there is no need for alarm within the squad, despite surrendering a 15-point lead in the final minutes. “It’s a crappy way to lose, but I think understanding, like a lot of that stuff’s in our control to come out and be able to change it and, you know, not panicking,” she stated. “I mean, it’s one game, and understanding we have an opportunity tomorrow to come out and be better.”
On the other side, the Lynx, having secured the victory, are aware that there’s much improvement needed as they look ahead to Sunday’s match. Napheesa Collier, a forward for Minnesota, reminded everyone that the series is far from over. “It’s one game, it’s a long series. We’re definitely not coming into this thinking we have this thing won,” she commented. Collier acknowledged the circumstances of Game 1 and stated, “It means nothing. It means they’re going to come out even hungrier in Game 2, and it’s going to be a battle just like it was the first night.”
Key contributors in securing the win for the Lynx, Collier and Courtney Williams emphasized the need for improvement. Williams, who executed a crucial four-point play with just 5.5 seconds remaining in regulation, expressed optimism about their practice opportunities. “There were so many different things that we could have done better, but I’m so happy we can get into the gym today and work on it.”
Game 1 captivated a significant audience, drawing an impressive average of 1.14 million viewers, marking it as the most-watched WNBA Finals opener in history. This viewership also ranked it as the highest-rated Finals game since the 2003 championship series between Los Angeles and Detroit.
