New York Liberty overtakes Minnesota Lynx in OT in Game 5 for WNBA title

NEW YORK – By the end of the second quarter on Sunday, the Lynx had quieted the sellout crowd at Barclays Center. They had silenced the New York offense and eliminated the New York stars.

And then her own offense was silent for too long.

A fifth WNBA title will have to wait.

The Liberty defeated the Lynx 67-62 in overtime in front of 18,090 fans to win their first WNBA title. It was the seventh final appearance for the Lynx, who have won four championships, a record.

Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, a 6-6 center, scored 17 points and Breanna Stewart had 13 points and 15 rebounds along with some late free throws for the Liberty. Guard Sabrina Ionescu, whose long three-pointer won Game 3, was just 1 of 19 from the field while New York shot 22 of 72 (30.6%) as a team.

The Liberty shot 21 of 25 on free throws, while the Lynx only got to the line four times and shot 7 of 8.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve wasn’t happy.