Just some days after a letdown Recreation 1 loss to the Lynx, it was the Liberty who pulled away on the finish to tie up the WNBA Finals with an 80-66 win. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton was the hero on this one — exploding for a season-high 20 factors — because the Liberty secured a Recreation 2 win with the collection heading again to Minnesota.
“I assumed we introduced the vitality,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello mentioned on the half. “If we preserve trusting one another, nice issues will occur.”
They caught collectively, and the remainder was historical past.
Right here’s how every starter fared on this one, Participant Grade type.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton: A
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton had her finest recreation of the postseason, only a day after her coach instructed reporters she wasn’t 100%.
“She’s giving no matter she will,” Brondello mentioned, per The Subsequent’s Jackie Powell. “I believe everybody can see that she’s attempting. It’s not the identical B that we’ve seen all season lengthy, however it’s what it’s.”
Laney-Hamilton completed with 20 factors on 8-14 taking pictures, together with 4-6 from three.
“Man, that shot lastly kicked in,” Laney-Hamilton mentioned to Holly Rowe forward of the fourth quarter, seemingly referencing some ache administration. “The crew had been doing all the pieces to assist get me feeling by finest.”
Breanna Stewart: A-
Breanna Stewart responded properly to a Recreation 1 loss that noticed her miss each a free throw and a layup on the buzzer. She completed the evening with 21 factors, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and a WNBA Finals-record 7 steals. Stewart wasn’t environment friendly offensively — she shot 7-18 from the sector and racked up 5 turnovers — however did sufficient throughout the board to positively impression the sport.
“What we simply proceed to maintain saying to 1 one other is ‘keep collectively, preserve taking part in, each rebound issues.”
Breanna Stewart on the distinction between Recreation 1 and Recreation 2: pic.twitter.com/L4IDFNEMgP
— New York Liberty Movies (@SNYLiberty) October 13, 2024
Jonquel Jones: B+
Jonquel Jones posted 14 factors, 9 rebounds , and a couple of steals on this one. She wasn’t as dominant as she was in Recreation 1, however nonetheless did what she needed to do on this one. There have been moments that, with Napheesa Collier sidelined, it appeared that Jones may very well be extra aggressive. Nonetheless, she led each groups in rebounding.
Leonie Fiebich: A-
Leonie Fiebich received the Courtney Williams defensive project, and her size was noticeably disruptive all through the sport. Fiebich was uncharacteristically quiet offensively — she tried simply three photographs all evening — however she hit her greatest try of the sport, a three-pointer with 90 seconds to play that gave the Liberty a 9-point lead. Fiebich was additionally a +17 on the evening.
Sabrina Ionescu: B+
Sabrina Ionescu exploded for 12 first-quarter factors, however scored simply 3 factors the remainder of the way in which. However, it was what the Liberty wanted on this one. Her 9 shot makes an attempt marked a pointy distinction from her 26 makes an attempt in Recreation 1, however her giving up the rock truly opened issues up for the Liberty, as 4 gamers posted not less than 14 factors within the win.
Nonetheless, Sabrina Ionescu completed the evening with a game-high +20, and oftentimes, deferring to others proved advantageous for a Liberty crew that discovered a great rhythm down the stretch.
Bridget Carleton: B-
Bridget Carleton’s three-point struggles continued with a 2/6 efficiency in Recreation 2. Carleton has now made simply 5 of her final 25 makes an attempt from downtown. Carleton completed with 8 factors, 4 rebounds, and three assists on this one, and although she practically matched her common season common.
Napheesa Collier: B-
Napheesa Collier has been wonderful defensively on this collection, and he or she was a giant a part of why Breanna Stewart struggled offensively once more tonight. Collier was nonetheless environment friendly offensively on this one — she made 7-12 shot makes an attempt — however received in foul bother within the third quarter and the Lynx struggled with out her. Collier’s 16-point outing was greater than 10 factors beneath her postseason common of 26.4 factors, and on an evening when no different Lynx participant actually had it going, her output merely wasn’t sufficient.
Courtney Williams: B
Courtney Williams confirmed the identical flashes of brilliance that catapulted the Lynx to victory in Recreation 1. However, she made a number of key errors down the stretch, together with dribbling off her foot with 1:30 to play, a sequence that resulted in a wide-open Leonie Fiebich three-pointer. Williams completed with 15 factors on 7-14 taking pictures, 6 rebounds, and a playoff career-high 8 assists. She additionally turned the ball over 5 occasions, and wasn’t capable of recreate the magic of Recreation 1 with the clock winding down.
Alanna Smith: A-
Alanna Smith was the one starter to complete the sport with a constructive +/-. Smith completed with 14 factors on 6-9 taking pictures, 2 assists, and a couple of rebounds. The rebounding left a bit to be desired — the Liberty out-rebounded the Lynx 34-27 — however Smith was a constructive offensively, and continued her efficient defensive efforts as properly.
Kayla McBride: C+
Kayla McBride present simply 3-9 from the sector and completed with 8 factors in Recreation 2, properly beneath her common season common of 15 factors. On an evening wherein Napheesa Collier discovered herself in foul bother, and Courtney Williams didn’t have it going fairly as a lot as her earlier two outings, an even bigger McBride efficiency would have been enormous for the Lynx. As an alternative, she had certainly one of her quieter performances of the postseason. McBride was tied with Williams for the worst plus-minus of any starter, a -9.
