The New York Liberty just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in WNBA history. The eighth seed dominated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 on Tuesday night at Barclays Center, completing a two-game sweep and becoming the first No. 8 seed to beat a No. 1 since the playoff format changed in 2016.
Former MVPs Jonquel Jones (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Breanna Stewart (21 points) were unstoppable inside, while Sabrina Ionescu buried four threes on her way to 18 points and 7 assists. When Stewart was fouled hard and the call was upgraded to a flagrant-1, the sellout crowd of 17,593 chanted MVP as she sank both free throws to put it away.
Minnesota had no answers. Napheesa Collier was held to 14 points, and unanimous Rookie of the Year Olivia Miles managed just 5 points on 1-for-8 shooting one day after winning the award. The Lynx's dream season is over; the Liberty march on to the semifinals.