Liberty looks to close out the series against the Lynx and secure the franchise’s first WNBA championship

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The New York Liberty are one win away from securing the franchise’s first WNBA championship.

They’ll get their first chance Friday night when they face the Minnesota Lynx in Game 4 of the Finals.

New York was one of the original franchises when the league began operations in 1997. Before this season, New York reached the championship round five times and lost each time, including last year.

The Liberty lead the best-of-five series 2-1. If Minnesota wins on Friday, Game 5 will take place on Sunday night in New York. The lynxes are looking for their own story. Two more wins would make them the first team with five WNBA championships, breaking the tie with Seattle and Houston.

Four teams have come back from 2-1 deficits to win a championship – the last being Minnesota in 2017.

New York took the lead in the series spectacular 28 foot shot from Sabrina Ionescu with a second left-footed shot.

The Lynx should have forward Alanna Smith in their starting lineup for Friday night’s elimination game. She injured her lower back in Game 3 and took part in the morning shootaround. She said she would play through the pain.

Minnesota had a record-breaking Lynx attendance of 19,521 for Game 3 and is expecting another big crowd Friday night. There was also a huge television audience: 1.4 million people watched the final game. This made it the most-watched final game in more than 20 years and the most ever broadcast on a cable network.

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