Capping their sixth WNBA Finals campaign, the New York Liberty earned their first-ever championship in Sunday’s 67-62 winner-take-all overtime thriller.
As the last original WNBA franchise still playing to book a title, the Libs — who won the league’s inaugural game in 1997 — lifted the WNBA’s 28th trophy in front of a record-breaking sellout home crowd in Brooklyn.
"It means everything to me," said New York star Breanna Stewart, who grew up in Syracuse and attended Liberty games as a kid. "I wanted to come here and I wanted to be the first."
"I can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city," Stewart said after the game. "It's going to be bonkers."
The path to the WNBA Championship
Fueled by last year’s disappointing championship loss to the Las Vegas Aces, New York led the league in the regular season with an impressive franchise-tying record of 32-8.
After sweeping the Atlanta Dream in the first round, New York redemptively ousted the Aces in four semifinals games. The Liberty's Finals foe was the only team to defeat them multiple times this year — 2024 Commissioners Cup winners Minnesota.
In what was arguably the most competitive series to date, the 2024 Finals were marked by record-setting come-from-behind wins, game-winning shots seemingly scripted in Hollywood, and, after offensive power in the first four tilts, a defensive masterclass in the deciding Game 5.
Liberty stars show out in Championship win
Behind her team-leading 17-point, six-rebound Game 5 performance, Jonquel Jones earned the Finals MVP crown.
"I could never dream of this," said Jones after the game. "You know how many times I've been denied, it was delayed. I am so happy to do it here."
Co-signed by the Barclays Center crowd chanting her name, the championship-clinching game’s unofficial sixth player was Nyara Sabally. In her biggest showing ever in a Liberty uniform, Sabally’s spark off the bench added 13 clutch points and seven rebounds to New York’s total.
Minnesota’s defense did a lot to stifle the Liberty, holding New York to a 10-point first quarter — their most dismal opening all year. The Lynx also kept New York shooters to just two-for-23 from behind the arc.
A large part of suppressing the Libs came from Minnesota’s success in keeping New York’s Game 3 heroes Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu decidedly quiet on Sunday, smothering their respective efforts to 4-for-15 and 1-for-19 from the field.
Despite their offensive struggles, both contributed elsewhere. Ionescu added eight assists and seven rebounds to her five points and Stewart showed out on defense with 15 rebounds alongside her 13 points.
New York’s gritty 7-2 overtime run ultimately put the game out of Minnesota's reach. Lynx star Napheesa Collier, who posted an historic playoff run, fouled out in the game’s final seconds.
Lynx coach Reeve slams officiating in Finals loss
After the loss, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve had words for the officials that kept the Lynx from clinching in regulation play.
In a game that saw New York outshoot the Lynx 25-8 from the free throw line, the Lynx unsuccessfully challenged a controversial shooting foul called on Alanna Smith at the end of regulation. That ruling gave New York's Stewart the pair of free throws that sent the game into overtime.
"I know all the headlines will be 'Reeve cries foul,'" she told reporters. "Bring it on. Bring it on. Because this s--- was stolen from us."
"If we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that it was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed," Reeve remarked.
Notably, complaints about officiating and lopsided foul calls have been raised throughout the Finals. And not just from Reeve, who also spoke on the disparity after Game 3.
New York head coach Sandy Brondello made the same plea after Friday’s Game 4 saw foul calls favor Minnesota, saying "I know Cheryl talked about it last time, but we got no calls today... All we want is fair, OK. So if we are getting hit, that’s a foul."
Ultimately, while acknowledging Minnesota's disappointment, Reeve's appeal focused on the need for fair calls to ensure fair play. "This is for a championship," Reeve said. "For both teams, let [the players] decide it."
"This s--- ain’t that hard,” she added. “Officiating, it’s not that hard."
Welcome back to Fast Friends with Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie!
In today's episode, our hosts preview Game 1 of the WNBA Finals between the Minnesota Lynx and the New York Liberty, and how Liberty center Jonquel Jones could be the final piece to her team's title hopes.
"Jonquel Jones, for the Liberty to walk away holding that trophy, she's got to show up bigger and better," says Leslie. "She's got to be dominant in the paint, she's got to get those boards, and she's got to block some shots. She's got to play out of her mind."
In the world of soccer, Kelley discusses the special importance of winning an NWSL shield, and makes a few bold postseason predictions (sorry Orlando and Kansas City!)
Coming off the success of JWS's Olympic commentary show The Gold Standard, Fast Friends features two legendary athletes serving up insider insights and unique takes on the biggest stories in women's sports every week.
Subscribe to Just Women's Sports on YouTube to never miss an episode.
Jonquel Jones intends to return to the New York Liberty, her agent told ESPN on Tuesday.
The 2021 WNBA MVP was a key piece in the Liberty’s WNBA Finals run last season, which was the team’s first appearance in the Finals since 2002.
Jones was an offseason acquisition by the Liberty last year, having been traded from the Connecticut Sun at her request. She had one year left on her contract at the time, which made her an unrestricted free agent in this offseason.
During exit interviews, Jones wasn’t ready to commit to returning to the Liberty, but noted that she was “definitely trending towards coming back here.”
Jones, according to Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb, was “arguably our best player, just in terms of consistency” in the postseason. He had stressed that the team “definitely” wanted to try and keep Jones in the wake of her free agency.
Last season, Jones averaged 11.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season. She became even more instrumental in the playoffs, averaging 16.8 points, 11.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. She was also named MVP of the Commissioner’s Cup championship last season.
The Liberty also had 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart as a free agent this offseason, but she was cored by the franchise last week.
New York Liberty players took exception to Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum’s criticism of their team following the WNBA Finals.
The Aces won a second consecutive WNBA championship, running it back with a very similar lineup to their 2022 title-winning season. After Wednesday’s series-clinching win, Plum pointed to Las Vegas’ long journey to that point — as compared to New York, which assembled its roster in the 2023 offseason.
“There was a lot of years that we weren’t so super,” she said. “But you can’t build a superteam in a couple of months. It takes years.”
Plum also questioned the Liberty’s team mentality.
“We also knew that, as much as they’re a team, they’re not a team, if that makes sense,” she told Yahoo Sports. “They’re really good individual players, but they don’t care about each other. And you can tell in those moments. They revert back to individual basketball.”
On Friday, Liberty players called out Plum’s comments in their end-of-season interviews.
“I think it’s easy to kick people when they’re down and you’re up, and honestly to me, it felt classless,” Jonquel Jones said. “You could celebrate with your team, and instead you chose to essentially s— on someone else.”
Sabrina Ionescu pushed back on the notion that New York isn’t a team, saying that “couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“I’ve never been on a team that’s been more committed to one another than what it’s been like this year,” she said. “We had players that came together in a short amount of time… to try to win.”
Breanna Stewart sidestepped a question on Plum’s criticism, calling the Aces “phenomenal” and congratulating them on their win.
“Win or lose, we’ll just continue to carry ourselves with grace and keep that going forward,” she said.
Head coach Sandy Brondello admitted she had not looked much at social media since her team’s loss Wednesday, but she did say that what Plum said about the Liberty is “wrong.”
“I don’t even think I should comment, because I know it’s not true,” she said. “This team has grown so close together in a short period of time, and what Kelsey said is wrong.”
Plum then took to social media to clarify her comments.
“Since the media wants to do click bait, imma cut this drama out right now so we can move on and be in peace,” she wrote on X. “What I said was taken extremely out of context. I was trying to articulate my teammates and I have been through a lot and we used our bond to get over the hump.”
Since the media wants to do click bait, imma cut this drama out right now so we can move on and be in peace. What I said was taken extremely out of context. I was trying to articulate my teammates and I have been through a lot and we used our bond to get over the hump. https://t.co/FgD7STZTEN
— Kelsey Plum (@Kelseyplum10) October 20, 2023
She also apologized for how her words came on, noting that she didn’t intend to “throw shade.”
“Never been the type to throw shade, quite the opposite actually,” she continued. “I see how it came off, never was my intention and I apologize. Our game grew immensely from this series, don’t let this bull shit detract from the biggest win here.”
The New York Liberty have no intention of letting go of Breanna Stewart anytime soon.
Ahead of the WNBA Finals, Stewart said that she hadn’t thought about free agency after signing a one-year deal with the Liberty. But she knew what her future likely held.
“I can pretty much almost guarantee that I’ll be cored, since I’ve never been cored,” she told The Athletic. “I’m happy in New York.”
On Friday, Liberty general manager Jonathan Kolb confirmed Stewart’s hunch. New York will be placing the core designation on the the 2023 WNBA MVP. With the designation, Stewart will return to the Liberty on a one-year supermax deal.
“Stewie will 100% be cored,” he said. “She will not be an unrestricted free agent.”
Of course, that leaves open the question of other impending free agents, including Jonquel Jones. While Jones is an unrestricted free agent after joining New York via trade ahead of the 2023 season, bringing her back is a priority for the team – and Jones said Friday that she’s “definitely trending towards coming back” to New York.
“With JJ, it was a situation of trying to feel out this season,” Kolb said. “In the postseason, she was arguably our best player. … For us, it’s a player we definitely want to retain.”
The New York Liberty are still alive.
Facing elimination in the 2023 WNBA Finals, the Liberty defeated the Las Vegas Aces, avoiding a series sweep with an 87-73 in Game 3.
The Liberty lost the first two games of the best-of-five championship series but rebounded with a victory in front of a sold-out crowd at Barclays Center. So far, the Finals have mirrored the regular-season series between the two superteams, as Las Vegas and New York each won the two games on their home courts.
The teams will play Game 4 at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday in New York. If necessary, Game 5 will be held at 9 p.m. ET Friday in Las Vegas.
Star center Jonquel Jones led the way for New York, scoring 27 points and bringing down 8 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu dictated the tone of the Liberty’s offense, recording 11 assists along with 9 points.
Kelsey Plum scored 29 points in a losing effort for the Aces. Another significant loss for Las Vegas came in the fourth quarter, as guard Chelsea Gray exited the game with an apparent leg injury.
Playing in its first WNBA Finals since 2002, New York came out firing in Game 3 after losing the first two games of the series in Las Vegas. Head coach Sandy Brondello’s team led by three points at halftime before breaking the game open over the final two quarters.
The win came in front of an announced 17,143 fans at Barclays Center, the highest gate receipt ever for a WNBA Finals game. Dawn Staley, Joan Jett, Tony Parker and Jason Sudeikis were among those in attendance.
Alexa, play the Bee Gees x Stayin’ Alive 🔥
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) October 15, 2023
See y’all right here in BK for game 4💪#SEAFOAMSZN | #LIGHTITUPNYL pic.twitter.com/98ZVxD2dhh
The makings of the New York Liberty’s first WNBA Finals run since 2002 started in the offseason, when the team assembled what many have called a superteam.
Just few days after the 2022 season ended, general manager Jonathan Kolb already was making plans, and in his mind were three players to chase in the offseason: Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot.
One by one, the dominoes fell. First came Jones, as the 2021 WNBA MVP was acquired via trade from the Connecticut Sun in January.
The signing of Stewart came afterward, but the seeds of the deal dated back to the previous offseason. Stewart met with the Liberty ahead of the 2022 season, but she did not want to leave retiring star Sue Bird in her final season with the Seattle Storm. One year later, though, all bets were off.
Kolb flew with other Liberty executives to Istanbul, where Stewart was playing in the offseason, to make their case. From that point on, there wasn’t anywhere else for the league MVP. On Jan. 31, she informed the Liberty of her plans to sign with them, and she did so the following day, the first day that free agents could sign contracts.
One day after that, Courtney Vandersloot joined the party. While she came close to signing with the Minnesota Lynx, another phone conversation with Kolb and Brondello the day before her signing changed her mind.
“When we put this team together, obviously the goal was to bring in the talent and let’s make a run for this,” head coach Sandy Brondello said Sunday. “And we certainly did that. Jonathan did a great job, and these players believed in the vision that we laid out to them to try and convince them to come to New York.”
While Kolb and Brondello brought the pieces together, the players themselves needed to find their rhythm. They started the season out of sync at times, but they found their groove, and they are sailing into the WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces.
“I only spoke about championships [on] day one, and then it was over. Because you have to do a lot of hard work,” Brondello said. “It was a journey. I think early on people think you just snap your fingers and it’s gonna work. But it takes time. We got five new players trying to learn to play with each other. … We faced some adversity still but we had built up so much connection and commitment that we could overcome those.”
The New York Liberty have advanced to their first WNBA Finals since 2002, where they will go up against their superteam rival in the Las Vegas Aces.
With the 87-84 win over the Connecticut Sun in Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals, the Liberty clinched a 3-1 series victory. Three of their starters scored 20 points or more to lead New York: Breanna Stewart (27), Jonquel Jones (25) and Betnijah Laney (21).
While the Liberty have four previous WNBA Finals appearances, the last one came in 2002. New York is one of the WNBA’s eight founding franchises, but it has never won a championship.
From the start of the 2023 season, though, the Liberty and the defending champion Aces were the betting favorites to compete in the Finals. Heading into the postseason, FanDuel set -210 odds for a battle of the superteams, followed by +500 for an Aces-Sun meeting.
New York transformed into a contender with a blockbuster offseason, headlined by the signing of the premier free agent in Stewart and the trade for 2021 MVP Jones. Jones finished Sunday’s win with a double-double, posting 15 rebounds in addition to her 25 points. She also had four blocks, including an emphatic stop of Connecticut’s DeWanna Bonner in the final seconds of the first half.
Yet while the Liberty won the day (and the series), Sun forward Alyssa Thomas turned in the most memorable performance.
The 31-year-old star collided with Jones in the fourth quarter, and then she remained on the ground, grimacing in pain. But after spending several minutes in the locker room, she returned to complete the 11th triple-double of her career.
Thomas finished with a team-high 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists. She leads the WNBA in career triple-doubles; no other player has more than three. She also has a record three postseason triple-doubles, after recording two in the 2022 WNBA Finals. All other players in league history have combined for two.
The New York Liberty and Las Vegas Aces will start the WNBA Finals next Sunday, Oct. 8, with Game 1 set for a 3 p.m. ET tip-off on ABC.
New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones came up with a monster block of Connecticut Sun forward DeWanna Bonner with six seconds remaining in the first half of Sunday’s WNBA semifinals contest, helping her team carry a one-point lead into the halftime break.
Jones’ block halted a layup attempt from Bonner, which would have extended the Sun’s one-point lead. Instead, Betnijah Laney picked up the defensive rebound, then Sabrina Ionescu made a layup on the other end, sending the Liberty into the half with a 45-44 advantage.
New York holds a 2-1 lead in the series. With a win in Sunday’s Game 4, the Liberty would advance to face the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA Finals.
With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Jones had 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. The 2021 MVP was traded from the Sun to the Liberty ahead of the 2023 season.
Jonquel Jones said NOT TODAY 😳 pic.twitter.com/rXrLsqQRsP
— espnW (@espnW) October 1, 2023
Jonquel Jones has accomplished a lot in her career, but there’s one thing that has eluded her.
Jones, a forward for the New York Liberty, is one of the most decorated players in the WNBA. But she has never won a WNBA Championship. In a recent interview with ESPN, the 2021 WNBA MVP spoke to the lengths she would go to achieve that goal.
“I’d give up my MVP trophy to be a champion,” Jones says. “That’s what you play for. You don’t play for individual accolades.”
Jones has sacrificed this season in pursuit of that goal. She’s fourth on the team in scoring (11.3 points per game), way down from her 2021 (19.4 points per game). It appears to be working: The Liberty entered the postseason at 32-8, the second best record in the league.
In the team’s 90-75 win over the Washington Mystics in the first game of their first-round series, Jones scored 20 points and recorded 12 rebounds and four assists. She was one of four New York players to score in double-figures, including Sabrina Ionescu (29 points), Betnijah Laney (19 points) and Breanna Stewart (10 points).
Jones, Stewart and point guard Courtney Vandersloot all previously played together overseas for UMMC Ekaterinburg. Now, alongside Ionescu and Laney, they’ve formed a “superteam” intent on making noise in the postseason.
“I’m very happy to be in New York and be playing with these ladies,” Jones said in an interview with Slam.
The Liberty host the Mystics in the second game of the series Tuesday, before heading to Washington, D.C. for Game 3 on Friday.