Lynx beat Liberty to force Game 5 in WNBA Finals: Recap, highlights

The Minnesota Lynx live to fight another day. 
The Lynx defeated the New York Liberty 82-80 in Game 4 in Minneapolis on Friday to force a winner-take-all Game 5 for the WNBA Championship Sunday at 8 p.m. ET (ESPN) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Big leads and bigger comebacks has been the story of the WNBA Finals so far, but Game 4 flipped the script entirely. Friday’s contest was closely contested from tipoff to the final buzzer, featuring 14 lead changes and 13 ties, with the largest lead of the game being six points. 
With the game all tied up at 80-80 with 18.1 seconds remaining, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams missed a midrange shot. The Lynx’s Bridget Carleton rebounded the ball and went right back up, but was fouled by the Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu, who backed into Carleton on the shot attempt. Carleton hit both free throws to give Minnesota a 82-80 lead with 2.0 seconds remaining. Ionescu had another shot at a game-winner but missed. 
The Liberty are vying for the franchise’s first-ever championship, while the Lynx are seeking their fifth title and first since 2017.
GAME 4:Lynx stay alive in WNBA Finals, beat Liberty in final seconds
Guard Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 19 points in the 82-80 victory Friday night, while forward Napheesa Collier contributed 14 points and nine rebounds for Minnesota. All five Lynx starters scored in double figures. Courtney Williams scored 15 points and added seven assists, and Bridget Carleton and Alanna Smith tallied 12 points apiece.
Center Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Breanna Stewart followed up her 30-point performance from Wednesday with 11 points and 11 rebounds in Game 4. Stewart struggled from the floor, shooting just 5-for-21 from the field.
Scroll past the photo gallery for a full recap from Game 4.
The Liberty and Lynx are tied at 72 with 4:48 left in the final period of regulation. The Liberty could win the championship with a victory tonight.
What a crazy back and forth game.
After three games that featured only a couple lead changes and ties, we’ve had 12 lead changes and 10 ties through three quarters at the Target Center. Here’s hoping the chaos continues in the fourth quarter.
Will the Lynx force a decisive Game 5? If they’re going to they’d better rebound better. Currently New York is winning the rebounding battle 29-21.
Things are pretty even otherwise, though you do have to wonder if Breann Stewart, who has just eight points (and four fouls), is about to explode in the final period.
New York’s Breanna Stewart picked up her fourth foul with 3:15 remaining in the third quarter after Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier drew a call under the basket. Stewart heads to the sideline with eight points and five rebounds. 
Courtney Williams is in her bag. And it’s not a knockoff.
After a monster first half, when she had 13 points and three assists for the Minnesota Lynx, Williams was asked by ESPN’s Holly Rowe if she was “in her bag.” The answer from the always quotable Williams did not disappoint.
“I’m in a Birkin right now,” Williams said. “So I gotta make sure I don’t drop down to a Target bag.”
For the uninitiated, a Birkin is a high-end handbag favored by celebrities. A Target bag is … not.
Funny as Williams’ quote was, it had to prompt some cringes from Lynx officials, given the team plays in the Target Center. — Nancy Armour
Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve is, by her admission, not warm and fuzzy.
She can be brash, demanding and prickly — her word. She snaps back at media when she disagrees with or dislikes the premise of a question, gets blunt in her postgame assessment of her team’s performance and does not mince words with players.
But she’s a damn good coach, Lynx guard Kayla McBride says, even if some players can’t handle her tough exterior.
You know who else can’t handle it? Lots of people new to the WNBA this season, including fans and media who often still expect women in sports to fit into a nice, girly box. Reeve can come off as brash and rough around the edges, and she’s unapologetic for both those things, or for being authentic.
She’s more than proven her strategy works, and wins. – Linsday Schnell
Read more about Cheryl Reeve from Lindsay Schnell here.
Natasha Heideman is back on the court after a thumb injury.
Heideman was hurt trying to intercept a pass from Nyara Sabally to Jonquel Jones midway through the second quarter, the ball hitting her thumb. She left the court in tears and wasn’t seen again the rest of the half. But she returned early in the third quarter with the thumb heavily taped.
Heideman isn’t a starter, averaging 13.6 minutes in the first three games of the Finals. But she backs up Courtney Williams, and the Lynx can’t afford to have their offensive engine peter out late in the game. — Nancy Armour
What a strange half for Breanna Stewart. One of the best players in the world — usually considered 1B to A’ja Wilson’s 1A — Stewart scored four points on just 2-of-11 shooting in 17 minutes. She’s usually much sharper than that — and likely will be in the second half.
When asked at shootaround today how she keeps her edge even after playing for so many titles — remember, she won four in a row in college at UConn and two with the Seattle Storm earlier in her pro career — she said simply that while she loves winning, she hates losing more.
Spoken like a true champion. — Lindsay Schnell
There’s been lots of talk this Finals series about the play of UConn graduates, as both Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier were part of the most dominant program in college history.
But how about UConn’s biggest and best rival, Notre Dame?
Former Irish standout Kayla McBride has been terrific for the Lynx this postseason, and she’s continued it in the first half tonight, scoring 14 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting. She’s also dished two assists.
I asked McBride the other day what she does on off days when she needs a basketball break. She surprised all the media but informing us that she has a secret talent for Rock Band, the video game. Her specialty is the drums.
Who knew? — Lindsay Schnell
The Lynx have a slight edge over the Liberty heading into halftime with a one-point lead, 46-45. Unlike the first three games of the championship series, that each featured double-digit leads in the first-half, Game 4 has been a closely contested through two quarters and the largest lead on either side has been five points. 
Minnesota’s Kayla McBride leads the Lynx with 14 points, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Courtney Williams has 13 points, while Napheesa Collier added 12.
New York’s Breanna Stewart has got off to a slow start, recording four points shooting 2-of-11 from the field and 0-of-3 from three. Stewart is also in foul trouble with three. 
The Liberty has dominated the paint, outscoring the Lynx 20-12, and has out-rebounded Minnesota 21-13, yet find themselves down one point. Each team has 7 turnovers.
The New York Liberty entered Game 4 with a 2-1 WNBA Finals series lead over the Minnesota Lynx 2-1. The 2024 finals is a best-of-five series but that will change in 2025 with the league moving to a best-of-seven format.
Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich (10 3PM) passed Briann January for the most three-pointers made by a rookie in WNBA Finals history.
The teams were evenly matched in the opening frame, which was capped by a Leonie Fiebich jumpshot with 23 seconds remaining. Kayla McBride had made two of three free throws to give the Lynx a 23-21 lead with 35 seconds left in the quarter.
I’ve long thought that Jonquel Jones is THE key to a Liberty championship. Stewie is gonna be Stewie, and Sabrina is going to create for others and herself. But pretty much no one in the league has an answer for Jones, whose size and length inside presents problems for opponents on both ends of the floor and whose soft touch extends all the way to the 3-point line (which seems kind of unfair, to be honest). Jones already has seven points in eight minutes and has grabbed three rebounds. If she has a big game, the Liberty are probably going home tonight as champs. — Lindsay Schnell
After scoring 30 points in Game 3, Breanna Stewart got off to a rough start in Game 4. She opened the contest shooting 0-of-7 from the field and 0-for-3 from three.
Ellie the Elephant (Liberty) and Prowl (Lynx) exchanged words on Twitter before Game 4 tonight.
Reporter Lindsay Schnell on Lynx forward Alanna Smith:
Courtney Williams puts Minnesota on the board first with a pull-up jumper to take the 2-0 lead. Williams was also credited with an assist to Napheesa Collier, who scored on a layup to give their team the 4-0 lead.
Game 4 of the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx is Friday at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. local) at the Target Center in Minneapolis.
Game 4 will be broadcast on ESPN with Ryan Ruocco (play-by-play), Rebecca Lobo (analyst) and Holly Rowe (sideline reporter) on the call.
The game can be live-streamed on ESPN+ or the ESPN app, in addition to Fubo, which is offering a free trial.
The New York Liberty are favorites to defeat the Minnesota Lynx in Friday’s WNBA Finals matchup, according to the BetMGM odds. Looking to wager? Check out the top betting apps in 2024 offering the top betting promos and bonuses in 2024. 
*Odds as of Thursday night
The New York Liberty bring their 32-8 season into Minnesota to take on the four-time champion Lynx. A title this season would mark the Liberty’s first championship.
Best-of-5; All times Eastern
All times Eastern
Sunday, Sept. 29
Tuesday, Oct. 1
Friday, Oct. 4
Sunday, Oct. 6
Tuesday, Oct. 8
The 2024 WNBA Finals series will be broadcast across ABC or ESPN, depending on the game. Streaming options for the series will be on Fubo, Sling and the WNBA League Pass.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced that the league’s championship series will move from a best-of-five clash to a best-of-seven game series in 2025.
ESPN PR announced that the New York Liberty’s 80-77 victory over the Minnesota Lynx in Game 3 was the most-viewed WNBA Finals game watched on cable with 1.4 million viewers. The viewership peaked at 2 million viewers and saw a +112% increase compared to Game 3 of the 2023 finals on ABC.
The league announced its first and second All-WNBA teams on Wednesday.
First team
Second team:
MINNEAPOLIS — After Sabrina Ionescu’s game-winning shot Wednesday night in Minneapolis, social media went crazy, with other players and athletes reacting to the deep 3.
The funniest reaction might have been from Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, who asked, seemingly in disbelief “is that what Sandy (Brondello) drew up?!”
As it turns out, no.
“When it happened – first of all the play was not right, that is NOT what was drawn up,” New York forward Breanna Stewart said, laughing. “When it went in, I wanted to go chest bump Sab but then I was like, did they call a timeout? There’s one second left, we have to stay focused! To hear an arena go silent like that is incredible.”
When she watched the shot back – which she did “as many times as it popped up on my phone” Wednesday night – Stewart said she was struck by how many different reactions she was able to see. She was also reminded of how impressive it was that Ionescu hit the shot considering it came off a (somewhat) broken play.
“Well they fouled (with 10 seconds left) so we had to switch sides, and when you have to switch sides things get a little complicated,” Stewart said, laughing again.
She also wasn’t surprised by Ionescu’s make.
“A step back going left, for Sab, that’s a money shot,” she said. — Lindsay Schnell
MINNEAPOLIS — A big factor tonight in Game 4: Alanna Smith.
Minnesota’s second team All-Defense forward has done a great job guarding New York’s Jonquel Jones, despite the fact that Jones has 32 pounds and two inches on her. Jones is one of the Liberty’s best players, part of the “Big 3” that includes All-Stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu.
But during Game 3 Smith took a hard fall in the paint when Jones posted her up, and Smith landed straight on her back. She got up clutching her low back and, during media availability Thursday, was walking gingerly.
Smith told reporters she’d be good to go for Game 4. She wasn’t planning to get any sort of injection – common for athletes who are trying to get through a season while dealing with injuries – and said she’d just be focused on warming up early. She’s been alternating ice and heat since the end of Game 3.
She joked during shootaround Friday that because staying warm is important, she might have to sweet talk coach Cheryl Reeve into keeping her on the floor even if she gets in foul trouble early, which happened in Game 3. Sitting on the bench for an extended stretch could make her stiffen up.
“I’m not sure she will (keep me on the floor) but I could try!” Smith said, laughing. — Lindsay Schnell
Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty arrive at the Target Center in Minneapolis ahead of Game 4. 
Stewart’s 30-point performance on Wednesday was the most for the Liberty in the WNBA Finals.
Napheesa Collier and the Lynx have also arrived for tonight’s game with a chance to defend home court and extend the series.
ESPN’s Andraya Carter and Carolyn Peck give their thoughts ahead of Game 4 of the WNBA Final.
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