Just days after suffering a crushing loss to the Lynx in Game 1, it was Liberty who pulled away in the end to tie the game. WNBA The final match was won 80-66. Bethonia Rainey Hamilton was the hero in this game, scoring a season-high 20 points as Liberty won Game 2, sending the series back to Minnesota.
“I thought we brought the energy,” Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello said in the first half. “If we continue to trust each other, great things will happen.”
They united and the rest was history.
Here's how each starter fared in this edition of Player Grade Style.
Bethnia Rainey Hamilton: A
Bethnia Laney Hamilton had her best game of the postseason, a day after her coach told reporters she was “not 100 percent.”
“She's doing everything she can,” Brondello said. According to Jackie Powell of The Next. “I think everyone can see that she's trying. She's not the same B that we've seen all season, but it is what it is.”
Laney Hamilton scored 20 points on 8-14 shooting, including 4-6 from three.
“Man, that shot finally worked,” Rainey-Hamilton told Holly Rowe before the fourth quarter, apparently referring to pain management. “The team did everything they could to make me feel my best.”
Briana Stewart: A-
Brianna Stewart responded well to the Game 1 loss when she missed a free throw and layup at the buzzer. She finished the night with 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a WNBA Finals record seven steals. Stewart wasn't as efficient offensively, shooting 7-18 from the field and accumulating five turnovers. However, overall he performed well enough to have a positive impact on the game.
“What we keep telling each other is, 'Stay together, keep playing, every rebound counts.'
Brianna Stewart talks about the difference between Game 1 and Game 2: pic.twitter.com/L4IDFNEMgP
— New York Liberty Video (@SNYLiberty) October 13, 2024
Jonquel Jones: B+
Jonquel Jones had 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals in the game. Although she wasn't as dominant as she was in the first match, she still did what she needed to do in this match. There were moments when it looked like Jones could be more aggressive with Napheesa Collier out. Still, she led both teams in rebounds.
Leonie Fievich: A-
Leonie Fibich earned the defensive duties for Courtney Williams, but her length caused significant confusion throughout the match. Fievic was uncharacteristically quiet on offense — attempting just three shots all night — but she made her biggest try of the game, a 3-pointer with 90 seconds left, to give Liberty nine points. This gave us a point lead. Fievich was also +17 on the night.
Sabrina Ionescu: B+
Sabrina Ionescu exploded for 12 points in the first quarter, but only scored three points the rest of the way. However, that was what Liberty needed this time. Her nine shot attempts were a marked contrast to Game 1's 26 attempts, but her relinquishing of locks meant four players scored at least 14 points in the win. Things actually improved for Liberty.
Still, Sabrina Ionescu finished the night at a game-high +20, and deferring to other players was often an advantage for a Liberty team that found a good rhythm late in the game.
Bridget Carlton: B-
Bridget Carleton's 3-point struggles continued in Game 2 with a 2-of-6 performance. Carlton has now completed just five of its past 25 attempts from downtown. Carlton had 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in the game, which was about in line with his regular season averages.
Nafeesa Collier: B-
Napheesa Collier has been great defensively this series and she was a big part of why Brianna Stewart struggled offensively tonight as well. Collier was effective offensively in this game as well, making 7-12 shots, but the Lynx struggled without her as she ran into foul trouble in the third quarter. Collier's 16 points were more than 10 points below her postseason average of 26.4 points, and on a night when other Lynx players couldn't really shine, she simply wasn't good enough.
Courtney Williams: B
Courtney Williams showed the same brilliance that led the Lynx to victory in Game 1. However, he made some key mistakes in the final stages, including misstepping while dribbling with 1:30 remaining, leading to a wide open ball. Leoni Fievich's three-point shot. Williams had 15 points on 7-14 shooting, six rebounds and a playoff career-high eight assists. She also turned the ball over five times and was unable to recreate the magic of Game 1 when time expired.
Alana Smith: A-
Alana Smith was the only starter to finish the game with a plus +/-. Smith had 14 points on 6-9 shooting, two assists and two rebounds. The rebounding left a bit to be desired, with Liberty outscoring the Lynx 34-27, but Smith continued to be aggressive offensively and play effective defense.
Kayla McBride: C+
Kayla McBride went just 3-9 from the field and finished with eight points in Game 2, well below her regular season average of 15 points. A bigger McBride performance would have meant a lot to the Lynx on a night when Napheesa Collier was in foul trouble and Courtney Williams wasn't as good as he has been in the past two games. Instead, she had a quiet performance in the postseason. McBride tied Williams with the worst plus-minus among starting pitchers with a plus-minus of nine.
