New York fights back with vengeance, claiming Game 2!
Breanna Stewart led the charge with a standout performance of 21 PTS, 8 REB, and an impressive 7 STL#WNBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV pic.twitter.com/bT3ptaPyVa
— WNBA (@WNBA) October 13, 2024
Doug Feinberg – AP Basketball Writer via WNBA;
Breanna Stewart wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.
With the Minnesota Lynx making another fourth quarter run, the two-time league MVP refused to let the New York Liberty lose again.
Stewart scored 21 points and had a WNBA Finals record seven steals to help the Liberty beat the Lynx 80-66 on Sunday in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals.
Just like Game 1, New York built a double-digit lead in the first half, only to see it evaporate. This time they didn’t completely collapse, holding on to even the series 1-1 as it shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
New York Liberty made sure that Minnesota Lynx won’t be stealing this game, even after the Lynx erasing the Liberty’s 9-point lead early in the 4th qtr, to just 2 points. But from the 3:40 mark in the final qtr the New York Liberty went on a 12 to nothing run to build a 14-point cushion to end the game.
There are four Liberty players who scored double-digits points, you have the regulars like Breanna Stewart who lead the team in almost every category, she had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals and 1 block. Sabrina Ionescu, because of the “Caitlin Clark” treatment that she received, was not able to score in the 2nd half but was a big contributor in the first half. She added 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
Then you also have the towering Jonquel Jones who was also a monster on the boards and got some timely tip in to help secure the W for the Liberty. Jones scored 14 points, a game-high 9 rebounds and 2 steals. Then there’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who was the unlikely-hero of the team by draining 4 pressure packed three-pointers, she end up with 20-points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists.
The next two games of the WNBA Finals will be hosted by the Minnesota Lynx. Game 3 will be this Wednesday, Oct 16, 2024 at the Target Center Minneapolis.