The New York Liberty finished the season with the WNBA champions. Their 67-62 point win comes from an incredibly intense five-game series against the Minnesota Lynx. This is the first time the franchise became champions since the WNBA’s inception on April 26, 1996. Interestingly, this is the first New York title since the New York Knicks’ win in 1973.
The Liberty’s star players Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu had trouble scoring points in this final game. Stewart ended with 13 points, while Ionescu had 6 points. The Lynx’s Napheesa Collier was the game’s top scorer with 22 points, and teammate Kayla McBride had 21 points. However, Jonquel Jones picked things up and scored 17 points, providing a little over 25% of the New York Liberty’s points.
Jones’ performance throughout the Finals earned her the MVP. She was the only Liberty player to have Game 5 experience before this game due to reaching Game 5 on the Connecticut Sun in 2019. Jones said this regarding her MVP win, “I could never dream of this. You know how many times I’ve been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here”
This was a record-breaking Finals for the WNBA. It was the first Finals to go the distance and last all five games. Moreover, the first three games of the Finals averaged over a million viewers on TV. This final game of the series set the overall attendance record for a WNBA Finals with a whopping 18,090 attendees. WNBA Rookie and Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark helped bring fresh eyes and interest to the League. Her season performance and Team USA’s Women’s Basketball Olympic win may have contributed to this Finals’ success. These factors don’t take away from the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx’s incredible performances and feats.
Overall this was an impressive year for the Liberty and its players. The New York Liberty exhibited dominance by ending the season with a 32-8 win/loss record, placing them at the top of the 2024 WNBA standings. Moreover, Ionescu and Stewart end their season as Olympic Gold medalists and WNBA Champions.
