A winner-take-all Game 5 will decide the WNBA champion. The Minnesota Lynx were able to defend their homecourt on Friday night in Game 4 of the 2024 WNBA Finals and, by extension, extend their season by one more game. In a tight affair where no team ever led by more than six points, the Lynx were able to pick up a thrilling, 82-80 victory over the New York Liberty to tie the series up at two games each and send the series back to the Barclays Center.
The first quarter was remarkably tense, with neither team able to create any separation over the game’s opening 10 minutes. The largest lead by either team was four points, with the Liberty and the Lynx trading the lead with one another seven times. There were five ties, as well, and the two teams entered the second all level at 23 each.
Things were not all that much different in the second, as both offenses, in particular, did an excellent job executing and not letting things get out of hand. By the time the two teams went to the locker room at halftime, Minnesota held on tight to a 46-45 lead, which was powered primarily three of their stars: Kayla McBride, who led all scorers with 14 points; Courtney Williams, who went for 13; and Napheesa Collier, who did her usual stuffing of the stat sheet with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
As for the Liberty, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton’s 10 points led the way, while both Leonie Fiebich and Jonquel Jones had nine. Their high-powered of Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu struggled, though, as they combined for 10 points on 5-for-20 shooting, while Stewart got into a little foul trouble by picking up her three with just under a minute left in the half.
The inability to open up a big lead bit both teams in the third. With just over six minutes remaining, the Lynx were able to open up a 55-50 lead, one which gave them the tiniest bit of space. But the Liberty wouldn’t be deterred, as Jones powered the team to 11 unanswered points that gave them a 6-point lead, the largest for either team to that point.
This turned out, once again, to be fleeting. Minnesota came right back and scored six in a row — five of which came by way of Alanna Smith — to tie things up at 61. In all, the Lynx were able to roll into the final quarter on a 9-2 run, one which gave them a 64-63 lead and the wind in their sails as they desperately tried to force a Game 5 in New York.
Minnesota got its lead up to as many as five points at the start of the fourth, but once again, the opportunity to pull away came and went. And once the Liberty steadied themselves, they were able to rip off a 9-2 run that let them pull back into the lead for a moment, although the two teams entered the final five minutes all tied up thanks to McBride.
While the Lynx were able to get their lead up to as many as five points, the Liberty were not deterred. In particular, a three by McBride with just over two and a half minutes left ignited the crowd at the Target Center, but a layup by Ionescu was followed by a cold spell for both teams and, eventually, a layup and a foul for Jones, which tied things up at 80 as the game entered its final minute.
Both defenses were able to get stops, and things set up for Minnesota to get the game’s final shot. Williams took it, and while her efforts to shake Laney-Hamilton and get off a clean look were unsuccessful, Bridget Carleton was able to haul in the rebound and got fouled while attempting a shot. Both of her free throws were pure, and on the ensuing Liberty possession, Ionescu was unable to hit a miraculous three to decide things for a second game in a row.
Everyone Lynx starter registered double-figure scoring, with McBride’s 19 leading the way. Williams was brilliant, going for 15 points and 7 rebounds, while Collier had 14 and both Smith and Carleton went for 12. The Liberty, likewise, had every starter in double-digits, with Jones going for a game-high 21 points and eight rebounds. While Fiebich had 19 and Laney-Hamilton had 10, the story of the game may have been the inability for either Stewart or Ionescu to get going from the field — the former had 11 points on 5-for-20 shooting, while the latter had 10 on 5-for-16 shooting. The duo combined to shoot nine threes and missed all of them.
Game 5 of the 2024 WNBA Finals will take place on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
