NY Liberty win their first WNBA ring!

It was a long time coming, but the curse came to an end. Twenty-eight years after its founding, after five lost finals, in overtime of the last quarter of the fifth game, the New York Liberty were proclaimed champions of the WNBA for the first time.

The New York team beat the Minnesota Lynx in overtime 67-62, closing the series 3-2 overall. After the final horn, Liberty fans, including filmmaker Spike Lee, jumped onto the Barclays Center court to celebrate their first championship after losing in the 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2023 Finals.

Overtime

Kayla McBride could have kept the Lynx from going to overtime but missed a three-pointer with three seconds left in the final quarter, AFP reports. Recovering from the scare, the Liberty took a quick five-point lead into the break and their defense allowed only two points from the free throw line.

The Lynx failed to take advantage of Sabrina Ionescu's inconsistent shooting, the home star, who had a night to forget with five points on 1-19 shooting. A turnover by Courtney Williams and a missed three-pointer by Bridget Carleton in the last minute ended up costing Minnesota the game, which has not taken home a championship win since 2017.

The Liberty also overcame a rough night from their other star Breanna Stewart, who scored 13 points (4-15) although she scored the two free throws that forced overtime. Napheesa Collier, Minnesota's power forward, was the game's top scorer with 22 points and McBride added another 21.

Jonquel Jones won the Finals MVP title for the first time. This was her third time making it to the finals. She has made it twice with her current team and once with the Connecticut Suns.