The New York Liberty pulled off a historic upset by defeating the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2 of their WNBA playoff series, sweeping them 2-0 to advance to the semifinals for the third time in four years as the eighth seed. Key players Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Sabrina Ionescu led the way with standout performances: Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Ionescu contributed 18 points, seven assists, and hit four three-pointers, while Stewart played all 40 minutes scoring 21 points. This victory marks the first time a No. 8 seed has eliminated the top-seeded team in WNBA playoff history.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
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 hugs and handshake lines started before the final horn officially sounded.
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horn → start → ?
Many had doubted what the Liberty would be capable of doing this postseason.
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Liberty → doubt → what
But New York never questioned its potential.
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York → question → potential
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you → get → things
Liberty set out to make history.
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Liberty → set → history
On Tuesday, New York delivered a performance that those inside Barclays Center won’t soon forget.
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those → deliver → Center
The Liberty earned a historic 87-71 win to sweep the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 2-0 in the first round of the playoffs.
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Liberty → earn → playoffs
New York became the first No. 8 seed to send the No. 1 team home.
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York → become → team
Doing it against one of the franchise’s biggest rivals makes the accomplishment all the sweeter.
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accomplishment → do → rivals
A year after getting spanked in front of their home crowd in Game 2 only to be eliminated on the road the next game, the Liberty avoided making the same disastrous mistake.
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Liberty → spank → mistake
They took care of business and played arguably their best game of the season to advance to the semifinals for the third time in four years.
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They → take → years
It was obvious from the first quarter that the Liberty weren’t going to go down without a fight.
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Liberty → go → fight
Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu set the tone.
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Stewart → set → tone
Everyone followed suit.
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Everyone → follow → suit
New York never trailed.
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York → trail → ?
Jones scored the Liberty’s first seven points and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
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Jones → score → points
Ionescu made four of her 10 shots from beyond the arc and recorded 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists.
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Ionescu → make → points
Stewart, the team’s steady captain, played the entire 40 minutes and had 21 points, five rebounds and four assists.
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Stewart → play → points
Earlier this month, Ionescu knew the Liberty had yet to play their best.
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Liberty → know → best
Entering the final week of the season, Ionescu knew there was another level left to unlock.
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Ionescu → enter → season
New York scratched the surface of being a great team in spurts this season.
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York → scratch → spurts
But injuries, stretches of inconsistency and an international interruption hampered the Liberty from looking like a real threat to win this year’s title.
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injuries → hamper → title
The Liberty knew they had the talent.
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they → know → talent
Ionescu said the team knew “who we are when we’re at our best.”
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we → say → best
But New York didn’t consistently prove it.
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York → prove → it
For most of the season, first-year coach Chris DeMarco talked about building toward the postseason.
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DeMarco → talk → postseason
Peaking too soon is a fear some teams have.
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teams → peak → ?
The Liberty felt like they did that a year ago.
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they → feel → that
There’s an argument to be made that the Lynx did it this time.
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Lynx → ’ → it
The Liberty opened the season with a 13-12 record.
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Liberty → open → record
At times, they looked disjointed and out of sorts.
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they → look → sorts
Very few pundits picked the Liberty to beat the Lynx in the first round.
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pundits → pick → round
But New York happily proved them all wrong.
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them → prove → ?
The Liberty seem to be putting it all together at the right time.
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Liberty → seem → time
They’ll play the winner of the Atlanta Dream-Washington Mystics series, which the Dream lead 1-0.
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Dream → play → which
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