Breanna Stewart’s 34-point night powers Liberty past Lynx after Minnesota’s strong first half

A fast Liberty answer, then a Lynx rally

Minnesota had the sharper start. Courtney Williams opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper, Olivia Miles followed with a jumper and a layup, and the Lynx were up 6-0 before New York settled. The response was immediate and forceful. Pauline Astier got the Liberty moving, Jonquel Jones and Stewart connected from deep, and a 15-0 burst flipped the game from an early Minnesota edge into a 15-6 New York lead.

That first-quarter swing set the tone for a Liberty offence that would finish at 50.8 per cent from the floor and 52 per cent from three. Stewart scored in the paint and at the line, Sabrina Ionescu added an early three, and New York closed the opening quarter ahead 25-18. Minnesota, though, did not let the game drift. The Lynx pieced together a strong second quarter behind their half-court scorers and timely shooting from the bench.

Natasha Howard and Napheesa Collier helped trim the deficit, and Nia Brodie changed the shape of the quarter late. Her three-point makes at 3:24, 2:00 and 1:23 wiped out New York’s cushion and brought Minnesota level at 36-36. Miles then made two free throws to put the Lynx in front, and after Stewart and Jones briefly restored a Liberty edge, Williams hit a 24-foot three with 29.3 seconds left. Miles followed with a 24-foot step-back at 2.4 seconds, sending Minnesota into the break with a 44-40 lead.

Third quarter reset, fourth quarter knockout

The game turned quickly after halftime. Astier opened the third with a layup, Stewart scored inside, and two Stewart free throws pushed New York back in front 46-44. Collier tied it at 46-46, but that proved to be Minnesota’s last share of control. Ionescu answered with a 27-foot step-back three at 7:27, and the Liberty began to stretch the floor in ways the Lynx could not match.

Fiebich was central to that shift. She hit from 24 feet at 5:17 and again at 4:08, both times widening the margin just as Minnesota threatened to settle. Stewart kept getting to her spots around the basket, Rebekah Gardner added a late layup, and even with Kayla McBride scoring nine points in the final 2:28 of the quarter, New York still came out of the third ahead 65-60. The Lynx had spent a good second quarter building their half-time advantage; the Liberty undid it in 10 minutes.

The fourth quarter removed any doubt. Fiebich opened the period with another three, Han Xu added one at 7:46, and Fiebich struck again from long range at 6:11 for a 75-64 lead. Minnesota got as close as 79-68 after Miles made two free throws, but Stewart answered with a three at 4:07 and an 8-foot jumper at 3:36. Ionescu then buried a 26-footer at 2:49, pushing the Liberty to their largest lead at 87-68 and effectively finishing the contest.

Our take: the margin was built on shot-making and the glass

New York’s most convincing work came in the categories that usually travel well. The Liberty outrebounded Minnesota 38-23, assisted on 25 baskets and made 13 of 25 from behind the arc. Stewart’s stat line was the headline, but the support around her mattered just as much. Fiebich finished with 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds, while Astier added eight rebounds and five assists from the backcourt. That balance helped New York keep scoring even though Ionescu shot 4 for 14 and the team committed 21 total turnovers.

That turnover number is the one blemish the Liberty would still want to tighten. Minnesota turned those mistakes into 18 points, which is enough to keep a game alive. The more important counterweight for New York was efficiency: 31 made field goals on 61 attempts, 16-for-18 at the foul line and a clear edge on second-half execution. When a team shoots that cleanly and wins the glass by 15, it can survive a messy stretch elsewhere.

For Minnesota, the frustration is that the Lynx had the better of the second quarter and real momentum at halftime, only to lose the next two periods by 20 points combined. Brodie’s 16 points on 6-for-7 shooting gave the bench a real lift, but the starters were much less efficient, combining to shoot 20 for 55. The Lynx also managed only 23 rebounds and gave up 24 points off 13 turnovers. Those are not minor details in a game that swung after the break; they are the clearest explanation for why a promising first half ended in a 16-point loss.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 9:20

   Courtney Williams makes 18-foot running pullup jump shot (Olivia Miles assists)

2. 1st Quarter · 8:41

   Olivia Miles makes 12-foot step back jumpshot

3. 1st Quarter · 8:24

   Olivia Miles makes driving layup

4. 1st Quarter · 8:08

   Pauline Astier makes two point shot (Jonquel Jones assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 7:47

   Jonquel Jones makes 24-foot three pointer (Pauline Astier assists)

6. 1st Quarter · 7:23

   Breanna Stewart makes 24-foot three point jumper (Pauline Astier assists)

7. 1st Quarter · 7:02

   Sabrina Ionescu makes free throw 1 of 2

8. 1st Quarter · 7:02

   Sabrina Ionescu makes free throw 2 of 2

9. 1st Quarter · 6:36

   Pauline Astier makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jonquel Jones assists)

10. 1st Quarter · 6:21

    Breanna Stewart makes running layup (Pauline Astier assists)

11. 1st Quarter · 5:24

    Natasha Howard makes driving layup

12. 1st Quarter · 4:38

    Sabrina Ionescu makes 25-foot three point jumper (Leonie Fiebich assists)

13. 1st Quarter · 3:50

    Kayla McBride makes 18-foot pullup jump shot

14. 1st Quarter · 3:29

    Napheesa Collier makes running layup (Courtney Williams assists)

15. 1st Quarter · 3:14

    Leonie Fiebich makes layup (Breanna Stewart assists)

16. 1st Quarter · 2:54

    Napheesa Collier makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Courtney Williams assists)

17. 1st Quarter · 57.6

    Han Xu makes 17-foot pullup jump shot (Marine Johannes assists)

18. 1st Quarter · 48.0

    Nia Brodie makes 25-foot three point jumper (Natasha Howard assists)

19. 1st Quarter · 33.9

    Breanna Stewart makes driving layup

20. 1st Quarter · 33.9

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 1

21. 1st Quarter · 19.7

    Natasha Howard makes free throw 2 of 2

22. 2nd Quarter · 9:22

    Breanna Stewart makes 11-foot jumper (Marine Johannes assists)

23. 2nd Quarter · 8:45

    Natasha Howard makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Maya Caldwell assists)

24. 2nd Quarter · 8:13

    Napheesa Collier makes 7-foot jumper (Kayla McBride assists)

25. 2nd Quarter · 6:44

    Natasha Howard makes 3-foot layup (Kayla McBride assists)

26. 2nd Quarter · 6:00

    Napheesa Collier makes 19-foot jumper (Courtney Williams assists)

27. 2nd Quarter · 5:14

    Jonquel Jones makes 25-foot three point jumper (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

28. 2nd Quarter · 4:10

    Natasha Howard makes free throw 1 of 2

29. 2nd Quarter · 3:46

    Breanna Stewart makes driving layup (Leonie Fiebich assists)

30. 2nd Quarter · 3:24

    Nia Brodie makes 27-foot three point jumper (Courtney Williams assists)

31. 2nd Quarter · 2:38

    Sabrina Ionescu makes 15-foot pullup jump shot

32. 2nd Quarter · 2:00

    Nia Brodie makes 23-foot three point jumper (Kayla McBride assists)

33. 2nd Quarter · 1:43

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2

34. 2nd Quarter · 1:43

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2

35. 2nd Quarter · 1:23

    Nia Brodie makes 22-foot three pointer (Dorka Juhasz assists)

36. 2nd Quarter · 49.7

    Olivia Miles makes free throw 1 of 2

37. 2nd Quarter · 49.7

    Olivia Miles makes free throw 2 of 2

38. 2nd Quarter · 43.6

    Breanna Stewart makes 5-foot turnaround jump shot (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

39. 2nd Quarter · 43.2

    Jonquel Jones makes free throw 1 of 2

40. 2nd Quarter · 43.2

    Jonquel Jones makes free throw 2 of 2

41. 2nd Quarter · 29.3

    Courtney Williams makes 24-foot three point jumper (Kayla McBride assists)

42. 2nd Quarter · 2.4

    Olivia Miles makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot

43. 3rd Quarter · 9:44

    Pauline Astier makes driving layup (Breanna Stewart assists)

44. 3rd Quarter · 9:09

    Breanna Stewart makes 4-foot layup (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

45. 3rd Quarter · 8:44

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2

46. 3rd Quarter · 8:44

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2

47. 3rd Quarter · 7:52

    Napheesa Collier makes 3-foot layup (Kayla McBride assists)

48. 3rd Quarter · 7:27

    Sabrina Ionescu makes 27-foot three point step back jumpshot

49. 3rd Quarter · 6:38

    Breanna Stewart makes driving layup (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

50. 3rd Quarter · 5:38

    Napheesa Collier makes 11-foot pullup jump shot (Kayla McBride assists)

51. 3rd Quarter · 5:17

    Leonie Fiebich makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jonquel Jones assists)

52. 3rd Quarter · 4:55

    Nia Brodie makes driving layup (Courtney Williams assists)

53. 3rd Quarter · 4:08

    Leonie Fiebich makes 24-foot three point jumper (Breanna Stewart assists)

54. 3rd Quarter · 3:54

    Kayla McBride makes 15-foot pullup jump shot (Napheesa Collier assists)

55. 3rd Quarter · 2:46

    Breanna Stewart makes driving layup (Leonie Fiebich assists)

56. 3rd Quarter · 2:28

    Kayla McBride makes 20-foot pullup jump shot

57. 3rd Quarter · 1:54

    Rebekah Gardner makes running layup (Breanna Stewart assists)

58. 3rd Quarter · 1:43

    Kayla McBride makes 25-foot three point jumper (Napheesa Collier assists)

59. 3rd Quarter · 1:26

    Leonie Fiebich makes driving layup (Breanna Stewart assists)

60. 3rd Quarter · 1:04

    Kayla McBride makes 23-foot three point jumper

61. 3rd Quarter · 7.0

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2

62. 3rd Quarter · 7.0

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2

63. 4th Quarter · 8:58

    Leonie Fiebich makes 24-foot running jump shot (Pauline Astier assists)

64. 4th Quarter · 8:42

    Kayla McBride makes free throw 1 of 2

65. 4th Quarter · 8:42

    Kayla McBride makes free throw 2 of 2

66. 4th Quarter · 8:19

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2

67. 4th Quarter · 7:46

    Han Xu makes 24-foot three point jumper (Pauline Astier assists)

68. 4th Quarter · 7:26

    Courtney Williams makes 13-foot pullup jump shot (Natasha Howard assists)

69. 4th Quarter · 6:11

    Leonie Fiebich makes 23-foot three point jumper (Breanna Stewart assists)

70. 4th Quarter · 5:58

    Nia Brodie makes driving layup (Napheesa Collier assists)

71. 4th Quarter · 5:43

    Marine Johannes makes 2-foot two point shot

72. 4th Quarter · 5:26

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 1 of 2

73. 4th Quarter · 5:26

    Breanna Stewart makes free throw 2 of 2

74. 4th Quarter · 4:56

    Olivia Miles makes free throw 1 of 2

75. 4th Quarter · 4:56

    Olivia Miles makes free throw 2 of 2

76. 4th Quarter · 4:07

    Breanna Stewart makes 23-foot three point jumper (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

77. 4th Quarter · 3:36

    Breanna Stewart makes 8-foot floating jump shot (Sabrina Ionescu assists)

78. 4th Quarter · 2:49

    Sabrina Ionescu makes 26-foot three pointer

79. 4th Quarter · 2:29

    Courtney Williams makes free throw 1 of 2

80. 4th Quarter · 2:29

    Courtney Williams makes free throw 2 of 2

81. 4th Quarter · 1:59

    Rebekah Gardner makes 5-foot two point shot

82. 4th Quarter · 1:49

    Chloe Bibby makes 16-foot step back jumpshot

83. 4th Quarter · 1:16

    Chloe Bibby makes 24-foot three point jumper (Aari McDonald assists)

84. 4th Quarter · 1:05

    Marine Fauthoux makes free throw 1 of 2

85. 4th Quarter · 1:05

    Marine Fauthoux makes free throw 2 of 2