On Sunday, October 20, the New York Liberty won the WNBA Championship at Barclays Center in Brooklyn for the first time in franchise history.
When the WNBA started playing in 1997, the New York Liberty was founded as one of the eight original teams in the league. After falling short five times in past championships and being runner-up in last year’s finals, the Liberty were able to come out on top against a highly talented and anticipated Minnesota Lynx team. The Lynx led the season with a 3-point percentage of 38.6%, a sizable distance ahead of the next-best team in the league, Atlanta, with a 35% 3-point accuracy.
Led by Coach Sandy Brondello, the Liberty had a great season, winning 32 games and only losing eight. The team’s leading scorer was Breanna Stewart, who scored an average of 20.4 points, followed by Sabrina Ionescu, who scored 18.2 points. Additionally, Jonquel Jones had the most rebounds, with an average of nine. For more specific stats, check out the ESPN New York Liberty page.
After falling two points short in the first game of the championships, the New York Liberty were able to make a comeback, with Sabrina Ionescu sinking the winning shot in game three. The Liberty won the next game, making it a best-of-five series game.
The series’ final game was long and intense for the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty. The game went into overtime, but ultimately, the Liberty reigned victorious, winning 67-62, with the game-winning shot coming from Stewart in the last second. After the championship game, Jonquel Jones was awarded finals MVP for producing 17 points, six rebounds, and one assist. This win was an exciting first for New York basketball, and it happened in the Liberty’s home stadium, the Barclay Center.
“The game was electric but stressful,” Zoe Wasserlauf (’27), a long-time Liberty fan and basketball enthusiast, said. “It came down to how well each team played defense because every player on the court was talented enough to hit a game-winning shot. We were lucky to have Breanna Stewart make four consecutive foul shots to win the game, but it was very intense in the last few moments. It was a very cool experience to watch it in person.”
This win for the New York Liberty was a win for all of New York. The last time a New York basketball team took home a championship was the Knicks in 1973.
