MINNEAPOLIS — The Liberty is 40 minutes away from winning its first WNBA title in franchise history.
Liberty, which earned an impressive 80-77 victory over the Lynx on Wednesday night on Sabrina Ionescu's 28-foot basket, can clinch the title in Game 4 on Friday night.
“When I left Seattle, I kind of started a new chapter and turned the page and went to rebuild the place that we've built,” said Brianna Stewart, who arrived as a free agent before last season. I knew that,” he said. Anchor of the new super team,”[I] I wanted to take the ownership and leadership to get this team to a championship level, and now we're really close to it. ”
A finalist in four of the WNBA's first six seasons, Liberty came within two wins and one win of the title, but was never able to finish the job.
The Liberty faced the Houston Comets in a one-game finals in 1997, technically coming one win away from the title.
In 1999, Teresa Weatherspoon's historic half-court shot won Game 2 and brought the Comets to within one game again in a best-of-three series. However, we lost in the third game.
This time, Liberty won for the first time in the best-of-five final series. They played the Aces at Barclays Center a year ago and were in the two-game hole.
Not only do they have a chance to win their first championship, they also end New York's championship drought in the four major sports.
Other than soccer teams NYCFC and Gotham FC, the city hasn't won a championship since February 2012, when the Giants defeated the Patriots to win the Super Bowl.
And there hasn't been a basketball title since the Knicks defeated the Lakers in 1973.
That's not something the city has let Liberty forget.
“I think people in New York don’t let you stop thinking. [a championship]” Jonquel Jones told The Post on Thursday. “Like, every time you walk around or do something, they're always talking, 'Oh yeah, I saw that game.' 'OK, we need to get through one more game and get the ace. “Oh, we're in the championship now.'' You know what I'm saying? It's constant. You can't escape from it. I know it gives me a lot of energy, but I try not to think about it too much because I know the work isn't done yet. ”
But they're playing a franchise that has experience bouncing back from a 2-1 final hole.
In 2017, the Lynx crawled up against the Sparks. They avoided elimination in Game 4 on the road and returned to their home court with a win.
Current Lynx assistant coach and five-time WNBA champion Rebecca Brunson was a member of the roster that won the franchise's fourth title.
“There's a lot of experience that we can use and pass on to them,” Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve said Thursday. “I reminded them how special they are and how we have answered every difficult situation, whether it was a goal conceded in a game or whatever it was, and Friday too. No change. I will always answer your calls.”
Minnesota appeared in the WNBA Finals six times from 2011 to 2017, winning four titles.
Liberty held the lead for nearly 82 minutes in the first two games, but held the lead for just 2 hours and 19 minutes in the third game.
With chemistry built again this year and an overhaul of the roster before last season to add even more depth, the Liberty are ready to win the title and capable of a decisive moment in the final minutes. proved.
Another important test awaits them on Friday.
“We haven't done anything yet,” coach Sandy Brondello said Thursday. “So, we still have work to do, so that's all we have to do. Focus on one game. We don't want to go back to New York and we're not going to go back to New York. That's confidence. . . . We know this team is a really good team and they'll respond, but we've got to be able to come back and play Liberty basketball for 40 minutes.”
