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
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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
