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History in the Big Apple: New York Liberty win their first championship in 28 years

Sara Jane Gamelli 7476 October 21, 2024 No Comments

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Sara Jane Gamelli

(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK—The drought is finally over. The New York Liberty delivered its first-ever WNBA championship in franchise history. In a must-win or go-home game five matchup, New York defeated the Minnesota Lynx, 67-62, in an overtime thriller. In a unique yet low-scoring affair, New York unlocked the key to victory—Nyara Sabally and elite defense.

Drafted no. 5 overall out of Oregon by the Liberty in the 2022 draft, Sabally's career has been derailed by injuries. Having gone through multiple ACL tears at the collegiate level, the Liberty saw the massive potential in Sabally. Unlikely to play the entire 2022 season with a knee injury, GM Jonathan Kolb and coach Sandy Brondello didn't miss a beat in drafting the German native.

They say you miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take. With that said, the Liberty front office nailed the pick. Willing to wait, the chance Kolb took on Sabally has paid off.

The Liberty found unique ways to secure the championship

It wasn't the most glorifying win for the Liberty. New York simply found a way to win ugly. One of the founding inaugural teams of the WNBA, New York, has fallen short in five final appearances. First against the Comets in the 1997, 1999, and 2000 WNBA Finals. Conceding to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2002, the Liberty were one point away from forcing a game five vs the Las Vegas Aces in 2023.

Through it all, this is a Liberty team that has continuously trusted one another and stayed poised, even when down 12 points early in the second quarter. That's part of the New York grit. The ability to find unique ways to win when the conventional methods aren't working.

"I can't believe this is real. I'm still in shock," Sabrina Ionescu said after the victory. We are so happy— we grinded that out. That's what it takes to win a championship. It wasn't going to be easy, and I'm just proud of my team."

Securing their first WNBA Championship in 28 seasons, it also marks New York's most recent basketball championship since the New York Knicks in 1973. Win or lose, the Liberty had a "put everything on the line" mentality, according to Stewart. In attendance for the game, there was hardly an empty seat throughout the Barclays. With white towels ready in action, the Barclays Center was electric.

There was an electric sell-out crowd at the Barclays Center

In front of a sellout crowd of 18,040 fans, celebrities showed out at the Barclays Center for the epic anticipated matchup between the Lynx and Liberty. Stars such as Spike Lee, Jason Sudeikis, Aubrey Plaza, and Robin Roberts, just to name a few, were front and center to capture the total historic moment. It was one of the greatest Finals series in WNBA history that all boiled down to five extra minutes of overtime.

Supporting both the Lynx and the Liberty, Angel Reese donned a hand-crafted jersey with half Liberty and half Lynx. Also in attendance were WNBA legends Swin Cash and Teresa Weatherspoon.

"There was a buzz in this arena, even when we came back after this road trip," Ionescu told the media. "We're back in New York. We're doing it here, where we deserve to win a championship in front of this crowd. Their belief in us— continued to motivate us every single time this season. In front of family or crowd—I couldn't have wrote it any better."

In Breanna Stewart we trust

But first, the outlook for Liberty looked bleak. In true fashion, Breanna Stewart fought her way to the charity stripe with 5.2 seconds remaining in the final quarter. Down 60-58, Stewart hit both free throws to send the game into extra minutes. Seen in prior situations, Brondello drew up the play for her most trusted player, Stewie.

This surely isn't Stewart's first rodeo. A 3x WNBA Champion with the Seattle Storm, Stewart said this victory was "personal." Stating both a WNBA Championship is vastly different from winning an Olympic gold medal, the Liberty star "has been manifesting this moment for a while."

"There's no feeling like it," the New York native said with joy. "Credit to Minnesota because they gave us a tough series, and the fans have been amazing everywhere we've gone. To be able to bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history—it's an incredible feeling."

Prior to this moment, Stewart had a two rare misses at the free-throw line, down 60-58 with 38 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. In a do-or-die situation, Stewart kept her poise through it all.

"Before I made the free throws, I missed two free throws. I was like, no, I can't do this again," Stewart stated on missing those clutch fourth-quarter free throws. "At that moment, I was just thinking about being a python. "

Nyara Sabally was the ultimate x-factor

And with a bit of trust came help from Nyara Sabally.

While Saballys health was always a concern, this shows the pure brilliance of how articulate Kolb has been in rebuilding the Liberty franchise. An unlikely hero, Sabally was a crucial x-factor in New York's ability to capture its first title. With a playoff-career-high 13 points, the former Oregon Duck added seven rebounds, one block, and one steal in 17 minutes.

Missing 14 games this season, Sabally quickly went from a bench role player to an immediate second-half impact player in game five of the WNBA Finals. Through all the adversity that comes with injuries, Sabally has always been built for the moment. A key member of the German Women's National Olympic team, the Liberty forward stayed ready for the moment.

"I just thought about what she brings—she has that x-factor," said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello post-game—her ability to make one-on-one plays, to rebound the ball, to play great defense. I prepared her. I'm really proud of her and the way she's handled a lot of adversity over her career. "

The Liberty and Lynx couldn't hit the three-point shots

Calling Sabally's game five performance the "biggest of her career," coach Brondello faced a daunting challenge after a poor first-half performance. Down 34-27 at the half, the Liberty were 0-9 from the three-point line and just 10-35 from the floor. Held scoreless, Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu missed eight straight first-half points. Former MVP Breanna Stewart started off the first two quarters on 2-9 field goal shooting.

With the shots simply not falling for New York, they couldn't contain the Lynx in the post. Having all of the momentum, 26 of Minnesota's first-half points came in the paint. Keeping New York alive with 10 first-half points from Jones, Brondello opted to run a more extensive lineup comprised of Stewart, Jones, and Sabally. In fact, it's the first time the three bigs shared the court together this season.

The Liberty turned to the inside game

With the Sabrina to Sabally Oregon connection, two of Ionescu's eight assists went to Sabally in the second half. Unstoppable in the pick and roll, Sabally was relentless on the glass and getting to the foul line. Scoring 9 of her 13 points in the third quarter, 7 straight came at the 1:25 mark in the third quarter. Three of which came from the charity stripe.

An unlikely game 5 hero, Sabally hadn't played much, only appearing in two semi-final matchups against the Aces. Praised by Stewart post-game, she was ready for the moment when the Liberty needed her the most.

Although Sabally was a difference maker in the second half, her overtime production helped Liberty secure their first-ever championship. Adding a block and steal on the defensive end, Sabally's fast break layup gave New York a five-point cushion with 3:14 to go.

"It's just like the mental preparation of staying ready and being locked in," Sabally told the press post-game. Whatever minutes that you get, you need to be ready to go on the floor because our team has such a high standard. To be able to live up to that, you have to be mentally ready. "This ring is for my whole family."

Sandy Brondello's gutsy lineup move saved their season

When reporters asked for justification for the bigger lineup, coach Brondello stated that she prepared Sabally and her team at halftime.

"I just felt going with a bigger lineup, Brondello stated post-game." That's as simple as it gets.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier found early success, scoring 14 first-half points. Often taking advantage of mismatches, Collier was 7-13 from the field through the first 20 minutes. Guard Kayla McBride was a monumental part of the Lynx first-half success, adding nine points over two quarters.

While the Lynx had their own shooting woes, McBride and Collier combined for 43 points on 1-8 three-point shooting. Chalk it up to nerves or bad luck, the Lynx missed quite a few open shots from beyond the arc. Scoring 69 percent of the Lynx total points, Minnesota could hardly produce any offense aside from those two stars. Similar to New York, Minnesota had an underwhelming shooting performance.

Just 26-70 from the floor, and 3-19 from beyond the arc, the Lynx and Liberty shot a combined 5-42 (12 %) from downtown. While game five was anticipated as a lower scoring game, those shooting percentages were unprecedentedly low.

Napheesa Collier made WNBA Finals history

Despite not reaching her ultimate goal, Collier had one heck of a historic playoff game. The heart and soul of the Lynx, Collier became the first player to lead in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks in the playoffs. Describing the loss as "gut-wrenching" on social media, Collier vowed to be back next year.

While the Lynx were equally struggling from a shooting perspective, it was clear Sandy Brondello made a gutsy call, but the right one. Nevertheless, New York had the size advantage all along and created a second-half lineup to combat the paint points and rebounds.

A collaborative team victory was never about Sab and Stewie. It was about finding creative ways to win when the Lynx weren't giving New York's most prominent stars any breathing room. While there's been a different hero every night, the Liberty had to simply adapt and adjust. WNBA leaders in three-point attempts, the Liberty finished the night just 2-23 from beyond the arc. Shooting 30.6 percent from the field and under 10 percent from deep, New York found a solution to their restricted offense.

Jonquel Jones was named WNBA Finals MVP

Post-game Sabrina Ionescu talked about the importance of her teammates stepping up in the biggest of moments. For New York, it was never about personal egos. It was always about self-sacrifice to bring New York its first championship in WNBA history. From the time New York acquired Stewart, Courtney Vandersloot, and Jonquel Jones, that's always been the vision.

"For JJ [Jonquel Jones], she was the MVP," Ionescu told reporters post-scrum. "They were taking Stewie [Stewart] and I away. And I was like, let someone else beat you, and JJ beat you. That's how the strength of this team is. When her number was called she was ready."

Named Finals MVP, Jonquel Jones once again led the Liberty with 17 points, six rebounds, and one assist. Although coach Brondello admitted to playing Jones more than she'd like, the Bahamian native logged 42 minutes, the most of any game in the playoffs.

Jones delivered when the Liberty needed her the most

Essential in the third quarter, Jones delivered the performance of a lifetime. With Stewart struggling so badly, no. 35 put the Liberty on her back. With seven trips to the free-throw line, she aggressively attacked in the paint.

Traded to New York from Connecticut to pursue a Championship, Jones finally achieved her dream after four final appearances. The first to hug Stewart at the end of the buzzer, the Liberty forward was visibly emotional after the victory.

"I'm just happy, just really happy," Jones told the media. "I was just sobbing in her hair— I didn't say one word. I was just crying the whole time. I'm just so happy to be able to win and to deliver. We talked about it so much —of coming together and what we envisioned and what we wanted to do in New York. To be able to pull it off and accomplish a dream—it's so freaking hard to do."

The Liberty prevailed despite struggles from Ionescu, Stewart

The Lynx stifling defense was an understatement. Although Ionescu put everything on the line, the Liberty guard finished with five points on a woeful 1-19 shooting from the floor. According to ESPN's Alexa Philippou, Ionescu is the only player in WNBA history to shoot 0-12, the most consecutive misses in a winner-take-all-game.

Impacting the game in other ways than scoring, Ionescu's defense was on full display Sunday night. Aggressive in crashing the boards early, the most prominent stars find a way to shine in the greatest of moments. Adding a few steals and a block, Ionescu was relentless. That's exactly what Stewart and Ionescu provided for New York.

Overall, Liberty achieved what Jonathan Kolb had mapped out since joining the team in 2019. From playing in Westchester to the Madison Square Garden days. New York has built a winning culture around fans who are invested in this team and Brooklyn basketball. Not to mention, co-owner Clara Wu Tsai is fully invested in the Liberty franchise, along with women. Drafting Sabrina Ionescu in 2020, New York successfully completed their championship hopes after forming a formidable roster. Though loaded with talent, it wasn't just one person that made this happen.

This was one of the best WNBA Finals in history

In fact, rookie Leonie Fiebich didn't perform at her best. Putting up 13 points, her go-ahead three-pointer to start overtime set the tone for New York to capture it all. Tabbed as a starter in the playoffs, Fiebich, alone with Sabally, was the missing piece to their championship dreams. Ending the Lynx's hopes and dreams of winning a championship, it was Fiebich who secured a steal on the last go-ahead possession for Minnesota.

Aside from New York's 80-66 game 2 victory over the Lynx, it was an unforgettable Finals that came down to the wire in nearly every single matchup. With four games determined by five points or less, it was a series that delivered record-breaking viewership. Although the Lynx fell short of their ultimate goal, what Cheryl Reeve has built in Minnesota is nothing short of incredible. In what was considered a rebuilding year, Reeve took a sub .500 team with five returning players. Five points away from their fifth WNBA Championship, Collier vowed to be back next season.

With complaints about the officiating from both teams, it was a physical series that's forever etched as one of the best series in WNBA Finals history.

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Sara Jane Gamelli is a full-time Sportswriter, Content Creator and Social Media Manager for Ballislife Bets. She has a focus on the Women's Basketball and the NBA. Sara Jane currently resides in Connecticut/NYC area with her Cat and Dog. SJ has her undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut in Economics, with a minor in business administration.

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