WNBA playoffs: Liberty take down Lynx in Game 2 — SkimNews
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- New York Liberty eliminated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2, becoming the first No. 8 seed to knock off a No. 1 seed in WNBA playoff history — and the Lynx became the first 1-seed ever swept in their opening series.
- Jonquel Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds), Breanna Stewart (21 points) and Sabrina Ionescu (18 points, 7 assists) powered the Liberty, who became the first team to clinch a WNBA semifinals berth.
- Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, the unanimous 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year, managed just five points in Game 2 after scoring two in Game 1; she sat the final six minutes and admitted to being nervous in her playoff debut.
- Minnesota led for only 3 minutes, 23 seconds across the entire two-game series — all of it in Game 1 — while the Liberty shot 65% from the field and 52% from three in the clincher.
- Indiana Fever staved off elimination with a 99-89 win over the Las Vegas Aces, forcing a Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday; Caitlin Clark posted 27 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds despite fouling out with 2:45 left.
- A'ja Wilson, the MVP front-runner, went scoreless in the third quarter, drew a fourth-quarter technical for confronting a fan behind the basket, and finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Why it matters: New York's upset sends the Liberty to the WNBA semifinals as live championship contenders in their hunt for a second title in three years, while Minnesota — three straight years of playoff heartbreak — becomes the first No. 1 seed in league history swept in an opening-round series, a collapse the source notes will draw real internal scrutiny.
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