In an intense showdown, the Lynx kept their championship hopes alive by securing a narrow victory, setting up a must-watch final game.
Bridget Carleton hit two clutch free throws with just two seconds remaining, helping the Minnesota Lynx secure an 82-80 win over the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night, pushing the series to a decisive Game 5.
The two teams will face off again on Sunday night in New York for the first Game 5 of the Finals since 2019, when Washington beat Connecticut. This will mark the eighth Game 5 in WNBA Finals history.
Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 19 points, while Courtney Williams chipped in with 15, playing key roles in limiting Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to off nights. Ionescu’s desperate shot at the buzzer failed to hit the rim.
Unlike the previous games, where one team would pull ahead by double digits, this contest remained close throughout, featuring 14 lead changes and 13 ties. Neither side led by more than six points.
With the score locked at 80-80 and just 18 seconds left on the clock, Williams dribbled down the time and missed a jumper. Carleton grabbed the rebound, was fouled by Ionescu, and calmly knocked down both free throws. Ionescu, who had been a hero in Game 3, couldn’t replicate her magic this time.
Jonquel Jones led New York with 21 points, while Leonie Fiebich added 19. Stewart, after a stellar 30-point performance in Game 3, was held to just 11 points on 5-for-20 shooting, and Ionescu finished with 10 points on 5-for-16 from the field.
Minnesota is now just one win away from a historic fifth WNBA championship, which would break their current tie with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm. On the other hand, the Liberty are still chasing their first-ever title, having fallen short in the Finals five times.
As one of the WNBA’s original franchises, New York is the only team from the league’s inaugural season still searching for a championship.
Though Stewart and Ionescu struggled, Napheesa Collier quietly contributed across the board. She scored 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out four assists, and had four steals, all while playing the entire 40 minutes.
Minnesota last appeared in the Finals in 2017, when they claimed their fourth championship in a seven-year stretch. On Friday, the Lynx led 77-72 with just over three minutes left, but New York responded with an 8-3 run, capped by Jones’ three-point play with 1:10 remaining to tie the game at 80.
Both teams had opportunities to take the lead before Carleton’s clutch free throws. McBride missed a layup with 56 seconds on the clock, but the Lynx held strong on defense, forcing a shot-clock violation after Stewart missed a shot in the lane with 18 seconds to go.
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