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NEW YORK — Breanna Stewart tallied 21 points while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton contributed 20, leading the New York Liberty to an 80-66 victory over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
This win evens the series at 1-1, with the action set to continue in Minnesota for Game 3 on Wednesday evening.
Similar to Game 1, New York established a solid double-digit lead in the initial half, only for it to diminish. However, unlike the previous game, they managed to hold onto the lead this time.
The Lynx found themselves down by nine points early in the fourth quarter but managed to close the gap to 68-66 thanks to a layup from Courtney Williams with just 3:40 remaining in the matchup. That, however, marked the last points for Minnesota in the game.
Laney-Hamilton swiftly responded with a corner 3-pointer, initiating a 12-0 run that dashed any hopes for a Lynx comeback. Stewart further solidified New York’s lead with a putback score in the final minute, ensuring a double-digit advantage for her team. This performance came after Stewart had missed a critical free throw with just 0.8 seconds remaining in the regulation of Game 1, which could have clinched victory for New York in that contest.
The two-time MVP was determined to secure a win in Game 2, complementing her scoring effort with eight rebounds, five assists, and a finals-record seven steals.
For the Lynx, Napheesa Collier contributed 16 points while Williams added 15.
The event once again attracted a sold-out crowd of 18,046, which included notable personalities such as Jennifer Hudson, Katie Couric, Fat Joe, and UConn coach Geno Auriemma. Auriemma had vested interests in both teams, with players from each squad being former athletes under his mentorship.
With this victory, New York avoided the daunting prospect of trailing 0-2, a position from which all 20 teams facing such a deficit in the best-of-five Finals have historically lost the series.
The Liberty led 23-21 before finishing the first quarter strong with an 8-0 run, ultimately taking a 31-21 advantage into halftime. Sabrina Ionescu notably scored 10 of her 15 points during the first quarter, while Stewart added seven.
New York expanded their lead to 46-31 before Minnesota narrowed the gap to 10 points at the half.
The Lynx cut the deficit to 57-53 nearing the end of the third quarter, only for Stewart to respond decisively, sinking two free throws and executing a critical block on the opposing end, followed by a jumper that extended New York’s lead to 61-53 as they headed into the final period.
Despite the Liberty’s lead of 64-55 early in the fourth, the Lynx surged back, scoring 11 of the subsequent 15 points to briefly threaten.
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