The Aporia · Liberty oust top-seeded Lynx to reach second round of WNBA playoffs in historic upset

Liberty oust top-seeded Lynx to reach second round of WNBA playoffs in historic upset

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APA MLA Chicago

Kenney, M. (2026, September 30). Liberty oust top-seeded Lynx to reach second round of WNBA playoffs in historic upset. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/29/sports/liberty-oust-lynx-to-reach-second-round-of-wnba-playoffs/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

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 by AI on 2026-09-30, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

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 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 13 other(s) covering the same event.

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This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 35 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Madeline Kenney

50 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Regardless of what happens Saturday, a first-time champion will be crowned.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · WNBA can make Game 7 a memorable moment in otherwise forgettable Finals

🔮 But they will have to do it without Jaedyn Shaw and Rose Lavelle, two of the club’s leading scorers.

2026-10-25 · assertive framing · Gotham lose top stars to injury with NWSL Shield still on the line

🔮 A 27-point blowout prompted Gabby Williams to immediately deliver an impassioned message to her teammates in a huddle on the floor.

2026-10-24 · assertive framing · Not only did Valkyries win WNBA Finals Game 4, they rediscovered their identity

🔮 This unfamiliar position has forced the U.S. to confront a new reality in which reclaiming the top spot will require measuring itself against the team that holds it.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · US women erase two-goal deficit to tie World Cup champion Spain

🔮 Entering Friday, with New York on the brink of elimination, all Stewart could think about was extending the Liberty’s season.

2026-10-10 · assertive framing · Breanna Stewart calls 2026 a ‘missed opportunity’ — and vows to spill her roster thoughts with GM

🔮 The Liberty would like to think they could be the first and vowed to chip away at the mountain one game at a time. “The mentality is just that it’s not over,” Ionescu said.

2026-10-09 · assertive framing · Sabrina Ionescu shoulders blame as Liberty face elimination in Game 3

🔮 When the Women’s Champions Classic returns to Barclays Center later this year, the spotlight will shine on some of the biggest stars in women’s college basketball.

2026-10-08 · assertive framing · Check out the unique Breanna Stewart bobblehead coming to UConn’s Brooklyn showcase

🔮 The Liberty, now trailing 2-0 in the best-of-five semifinals, learned after the game they had a reset timeout after all and could’ve advanced the ball on the final possession.

2026-10-08 · assertive framing · Wild timeout controversy hangs over Liberty’s Game 2 loss that puts season on brink

🔮 NOW“I would probably say that too if I didn’t want to admit that we got beat by somebody else,” Dream wing Rhyne Howard said Tuesday.

2026-10-07 · assertive framing · Liberty see self-inflicted turnover problem as Game 1 culprit — but Dream star isn’t buying it

🔮 “Maybe just crashing and trying to make things happen, be a little bit more physical in that sense.

2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Jonquel Jones can’t let Angel Reese continue to torment Liberty

Also by Madeline Kenney

WNBA can make Game 7 a memorable moment in otherwise forgettable Finals

2026-10-29 · New York Post

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2026-10-25 · New York Post

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2026-10-24 · New York Post

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2026-10-17 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 50 articles by Madeline Kenney →

Narrative

Claims (35 extracted, 0 hedged)

The hugs and handshake lines started before the final horn officially sounded. asserted

horn → start → ?

Many had doubted what the Liberty would be capable of doing this postseason. asserted

Liberty → doubt → what

But New York never questioned its potential. asserted

York → question → potential

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

Liberty set out to make history. asserted

Liberty → set → history

On Tuesday, New York delivered a performance that those inside Barclays Center won’t soon forget. asserted

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. asserted

Liberty → earn → playoffs

New York became the first No. 8 seed to send the No. 1 team home. asserted

York → become → team

Doing it against one of the franchise’s biggest rivals makes the accomplishment all the sweeter. asserted

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. asserted

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. asserted

They → take → years

It was obvious from the first quarter that the Liberty weren’t going to go down without a fight. asserted

Liberty → go → fight

Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu set the tone. asserted

Stewart → set → tone

Everyone followed suit. asserted

Everyone → follow → suit

New York never trailed. asserted

York → trail → ?

Jones scored the Liberty’s first seven points and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. asserted

Jones → score → points

Ionescu made four of her 10 shots from beyond the arc and recorded 18 points, four rebounds and seven assists. asserted

Ionescu → make → points

Stewart, the team’s steady captain, played the entire 40 minutes and had 21 points, five rebounds and four assists. asserted

Stewart → play → points

Earlier this month, Ionescu knew the Liberty had yet to play their best. asserted

Liberty → know → best

Entering the final week of the season, Ionescu knew there was another level left to unlock. asserted

Ionescu → enter → season

New York scratched the surface of being a great team in spurts this season. asserted

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. asserted

injuries → hamper → title

The Liberty knew they had the talent. asserted

they → know → talent

Ionescu said the team knew “who we are when we’re at our best.” asserted

we → say → best

But New York didn’t consistently prove it. asserted

York → prove → it

For most of the season, first-year coach Chris DeMarco talked about building toward the postseason. asserted

DeMarco → talk → postseason

Peaking too soon is a fear some teams have. asserted

teams → peak → ?

The Liberty felt like they did that a year ago. asserted

they → feel → that

There’s an argument to be made that the Lynx did it this time. asserted

Lynx → ’ → it

The Liberty opened the season with a 13-12 record. asserted

Liberty → open → record

At times, they looked disjointed and out of sorts. asserted

they → look → sorts

Very few pundits picked the Liberty to beat the Lynx in the first round. asserted

pundits → pick → round

But New York happily proved them all wrong. asserted

them → prove → ?

The Liberty seem to be putting it all together at the right time. asserted

Liberty → seem → time

They’ll play the winner of the Atlanta Dream-Washington Mystics series, which the Dream lead 1-0. asserted

Dream → play → which

Liberty oust top-seeded Lynx to reach second round of WNBA playoffs in historic upset

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Claims (35 extracted, 0 hedged)