Liberty stun Lynx in Game 1, pushing No. 1 seed to brink — SkimNews
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- Breanna Stewart delivered 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks, becoming the second player in WNBA history to lead or co-lead her team in all five categories in a playoff game and the fourth to post 30+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a postseason contest.
- Leonie Fiebich erupted for 16 points on 4-for-5 shooting from three — after scoring just 10 total in her prior four games — as the Liberty hit 52% from beyond the arc while Minnesota sent extra defenders at Stewart.
- Napheesa Collier (12 points, 6-for-14), Natasha Howard and Nia Brodie all picked up four fouls in the third quarter while trying to corral Stewart, and Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve blamed the foul barrage for giving Stewart 12 free throws.
- The Minnesota Lynx are now 0-3 in franchise history when dropping Game 1 of a best-of-three series (0-2 under Cheryl Reeve), and can be eliminated Tuesday in New York.
- Stewart cautioned against complacency, noting the Liberty won Game 1 of last year's best-of-three against Phoenix as a 5-seed before losing the next two games; New York committed 19 turnovers on Sunday.
- The win came the same day A'ja Wilson won her fourth AP MVP award, surpassing Stewart's three — a reminder Stewart issued with her stat line that the Lynx shot just 34% after halftime.
Why it matters: Minnesota entered the playoffs as the consensus title favorite, and a Game 1 home loss now puts the top seed one defeat from elimination in a best-of-three format where they have never recovered from an 0-1 hole. For Stewart, the performance reclaimed her standing in the league's hierarchy on the very day A'ja Wilson's fourth AP MVP moved her past Stewart in that record.
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