Minnesota Lynx eliminated from WNBA Playoffs after first-round sweep by New York Liberty
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
Despite having the Coach of the Year with Cheryl Reeve and the Rookie of the Year with Oliva Miles, the Minnesota Lynx were eliminated from the WNBA Playoffs in the first round after a sweep by the New York Liberty.
The Liberty beat the Lynx 87-71 Tuesday after the Lynx spent most of Game 2 trailing their opponent.
The Liberty’s Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds. Breanna Stewart added 21 points and Sabrina Ionescu had 18 to help the Liberty become the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league’s 30-year history.
The WNBA has undergone a number of different playoff formats. And in many of the formats, it wasn't possible for those seeds to match up. However, in 2022 the league changed to the current format in which the top eight teams play in the quarterfinals.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Now, New York awaits the winner of the Atlanta-Washington series. The Dream are up 1-0 and play at Washington on Wednesday night. The semifinals begin Sunday.
The Lynx's season ended in disappointment — again. The Lynx had the best regular-season record, but just couldn't put it together against New York. On Monday, Cheryl Reeve won the league's Coach of the Year and Olivia Miles was a unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year.
Miles struggled in both games against New York. She had five points, missing seven of her eight shots in 17 minutes, on Tuesday night. The Liberty's size and ability to protect the rim bothered the stellar first-year player.
Courtney Williams scored 18 points and Napheesa Collier added 14 to lead the Lynx.
