The Liberty run — and the Lynx drought — started with an unsuccessful challenge.
Jonquel Jones was whistled for a charge less than four minutes into the fourth quarter, with the Liberty trailing by two, and the bench wanted a review.
In the huddle, head coach Sandy Brondello told her players that the call, determining whether Minnesota’s Cecilia Zandalasini was in the restricted area, would be the call.
That was out of their control.
But it was still a two-point game, a close one in the fourth quarter, and against this Lynx team less than a week ago in the Commissioner’s Cup title game, the Liberty lost a tight game down the stretch.
They were 0-2 against them this season, too.
“We understood that whatever was gonna happen, whatever decision that the refs made, that it was still a game that was winnable and we still had like a personal vendetta in terms of going out there and trying to get a win tonight,” Jones said.
The challenge was unsuccessful and Zandalasini scored on the next possession, but after that, across the final minutes of what turned into a 76-67 win Tuesday at Barclays Center, the Liberty outscored the Lynx 15-2.
It was a defensive clinic for most of the second half.
And when Jones reversed her personal struggles in the first two meetings to score 21, and Sabrina Ionescu shook off an illness to add 17, it allowed the Liberty to top Minnesota, another WNBA Finals contender, for the first time.
“We were aggressive,” Brondello said. “We were very connected on all levels, and to keep this team to 25 points, it’s a testament to our defense, especially in that fourth quarter with the eight points. We haven’t done that much this season.”
The Liberty stopped switching unless they needed to.
during the Liberty’s win. Michelle Farsi / New York Post
They forced the Lynx into difficult shots, too.
And they held Minnesota star Napheesa Collier to 15 points.
But hours before the game, Brondello didn’t know if Ionescu would play at all.
She’d been downgraded to questionable on the Liberty injury report that afternoon with an illness.
Maybe there’d be a minutes restriction for Ionescu against the Lynx.
Maybe they wouldn’t have the Eastern Conference’s player of the month for June at all.
Ionescu warmed up pregame and ended up playing 37 minutes.
She hit a 3 early in the first quarter.
She sparked their transition offense, and ended up evening the game in the second half, too.
“Honestly, I don’t think I was that worried,” Breanna Stewart (17 points, 17 rebounds) said about Ionescu’s availability. “I think [Ionescu’s] a player that’s gonna fight through, and obviously, we need her. … We knew we needed all hands on deck.”
The Liberty appeared to avoid an injury scare midway through the third quarter, too.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, the anchor of the defense tasked with guarding an opponent’s top scorer, came up limping with just over six minutes remaining in the frame.
She didn’t play for the rest of the third quarter, but checked back in ahead of the fourth.
There were so many elements of the game that needed to tip in the Liberty’s direction to defeat a team such as the Lynx, and for the most part, they did.
Laney-Hamilton returned. The Liberty turned to Leonie Fiebich off the bench for their closing lineup again.
Jones, too, entered Tuesday’s game following the two poor performances against the Lynx to start 2024.
She didn’t expect them to change their defensive strategy — and expected other teams to follow a similar blueprint to contain her moving forward — but then found a way to reach 20 points for the first time since June 20 anyway.
A back-and-forth first half ended with a 42-42 tie at halftime.
But in the fourth quarter, the Liberty made their move. Jones’ 3-pointer gave them the lead momentarily, and after Laney-Hamilton tied the game at 65, the Liberty went on their closing run.
“I think that was the biggest thing, understanding there’s different spots where I can kinda affect the game offensively and defensively and then just getting back to myself in terms of rebounding and just like attacking the glass,” Jones said.
Earlier in the season, the Liberty passed a litmus test against the Aces.
They passed another one against the Sun.
But they hadn’t managed to top the Lynx.
That was one of the remaining challenges.
That changed Tuesday.
