In Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs, the eighth-seeded New York Liberty upset the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx with a decisive 91-75 victory on Sunday. Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Leonie Fiebich added 16 points off the bench. The Liberty's defensive strategy focused heavily on limiting Olivia Miles, who scored only 11 points in her first playoff game. Despite a strong start by Minnesota, New York maintained control with effective three-point shooting early and solidified their lead late in the fourth quarter.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The New York Liberty secured a shocking 91-75 victory over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA playoff series on Sunday, April 23, 2026. Despite finishing as the eighth seed with a record of 26-18, the Liberty's star player Breanna Stewart led the charge with an impressive performance of 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. The win puts the Liberty one game away from eliminating the previously undefeated Lynx, who must now win Game 2 to avoid being the first top-seeded team in history to fail to advance past the first round since a format change in 2022.
Stewart's clutch play was pivotal, as she scored crucial points and made key defensive plays against her former college teammate Napheesa Collier. The Liberty capitalized on multiple Lynx turnovers and foul trouble, with Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard each fouling out of the game. Rookie Olivia Miles struggled in her first playoff appearance, scoring just 11 points.
With Game 2 scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, at home, the Liberty now hold a narrow advantage but remain wary of a potential Lynx comeback, as they narrowly escaped a similar situation last year against Phoenix. The Liberty’s defense was instrumental in limiting the Lynx's scoring opportunities and forcing turnovers that kept the game close until the final quarter when New York pulled away. Despite their historic lead, Stewart emphasized the need for continued focus to avoid being caught off guard by Minnesota's resilience.
Written for “Liberty-Lynx WNBA Playoff Matchup” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.
The eighth-seeded Liberty set out on a challenge that no team has accomplished since the playoff format changed.
asserted
format → set → that
The job, as Jonquel Jones put it, was “to make history.”
asserted
Jones → put → history
We’ve got you covered on the Liberty beat
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.
asserted
you → get → things
tRY IT NOWNo top seed has failed to make it out of the first round since the WNBA changed its playoff format in 2022.
asserted
WNBA → try → 2022
But the Liberty are one win away from changing that after beating the Lynx 91-75 in Game 1 of the first-round series Sunday.
asserted
Liberty → change → series
It wouldn’t be right to say the Liberty “stole” this game.
asserted
Liberty → say → game
The Lynx all but handed it away.
asserted
Lynx → hand → it
Never mind the fact that it was Olivia Miles’ first WNBA playoff game, a nerve-wracking debut for even the most level-headed players.
asserted
it → mind → players
But Kayla McBride wasn’t converting for deep.
asserted
McBride → convert → deep
Napheesa Collier and Natasha Howard had four fouls apiece by the 8:33 mark of the third.
asserted
Collier → have → third
And yet, the Liberty still struggled to pull away, allowing the Lynx to hang around.
asserted
Lynx → struggle → ?
The Liberty led by only five points entering the fourth quarter.
asserted
Liberty → lead → quarter
Then, with a struggling Sabrina Ionescu on the bench, the Liberty started to crawl away and hush what had been a rowdy Target Center crowd.
asserted
what → struggle → bench
Breanna Stewart’s 3 with 4:07 left took the life out of the building as fans headed for the exit.
asserted
fans → leave → exit
Stewart, as she has all season, was incredible, finishing with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
asserted
she → finish → points
Leonie Fiebich chose a great game to erupt on offense.
asserted
Fiebich → choose → offense
She scored 14 of her 16 points in the second half and went 4-for-5 from deep.
asserted
She → score → deep
One of the biggest challenges the Liberty faced heading into this series was slowing Miles.
asserted
Liberty → face → Miles
New York’s defense seemed to create a blueprint for doing so earlier this month in the Liberty’s 12-point win on Sept. 18, with Fiebich, Pauline Astier and Rebekah Gardners taking turns hounding her.
asserted
Fiebich → seem → her
The Liberty followed a similar tactic Sunday, picking her up well beyond half-court.
asserted
Liberty → follow → court
They closed off driving lanes to the basket, too, making Miles work for her 11 points and one assist.
asserted
Miles → close → points
The Lynx opened the game with six unanswered points.
asserted
Lynx → open → points
The Liberty responded with a flurry of 3s and disruptive defense, leading to a 15-0 run.
asserted
Liberty → respond → run
The Liberty led 25-18 at the end of the first quarter.
asserted
Liberty → lead → quarter
But things started to come undone in the second.
asserted
things → start → second
The hot shooting cooled off.
asserted
shooting → cool → ?
The Liberty went 1-for-9 from deep after cashing in on their first four 3s.
asserted
Liberty → go → 3s
New York also committed seven turnovers in the second quarter, disrupting their flow from one end of the court to the next.
asserted
York → commit → next
They hounded her, throwing Fiebich and Astier on her well beyond half-court.
asserted
They → hound → court
New York also did a good job of taking away open driving lanes to the basket.
asserted
York → do → basket
The Lynx started to find their rhythm in the second.
asserted
Lynx → start → second
The final 30 seconds of the first half swung the score in favor of Minnesota.
asserted
seconds → swing → Minnesota
Courtney Williams drained an open 3.
asserted
Williams → drain → 3
Moments later, Miles sank a step-back 3 to put the Lynx up 44-40 at the break.
asserted
Miles → sink → break
The Lynx outscored the Liberty 26-15 in the second.
asserted
Lynx → outscore → second
The Liberty punched the Lynx first in the third.
asserted
Liberty → punch → third
They opened with an 11-2 run, led by Stewart who scored six points in the first 3:30.
asserted
who → open → 3:30
McBride splashed her first 3 of the game with 1:43 left in the third.
asserted
McBride → splash → third
She drained another before the fourth.
asserted
She → drain → fourth
Before the game, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve told her Liberty counterpart Chris DeMarco that the fact New York is “an eight seed is really cruel for the No. 1 seed.”
asserted
York → tell → seed
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
