Minnesota can’t finish off New York and now must find way to win two straight games for 5th title

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – The Minnesota Lynx got off to a strong start, but they couldn’t close out the New York Liberty. After leading by 15 points, the Lynx fell 80-77 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, thanks to a last-second shot by Sabrina Ionescu. To secure a record fifth championship, they now need to win two straight games, with Game 4 set for Friday night.

Throughout the first two games of the series, Minnesota had only held the lead for about three minutes, but they managed to split the games away from home. In front of a franchise-record crowd of 19,521— which included former point guard Lindsay Whalen, a key player in their previous championships— the Lynx jumped to an impressive start, leading by 10 after the first quarter and expanding their lead to 15 in the first half. However, that advantage slipped away as Breanna Stewart sparked a rally for New York.

Minnesota shot well early, making 10 of 20 attempts in the opening quarter, but struggled afterward, hitting only 19 of 55 shots for the remainder of the game. Now, they face the challenge of winning the last two games of the series. Historically, only four teams have come back to win the Finals after trailing 2-1, with the Lynx being the last to do so in 2017, which was also their last championship.

Adding to their challenges, the Lynx played the final minutes without forward Alanna Smith, who struggled with back issues. Coach Reeve had no update on her condition after the game; Smith finished with two points and six rebounds in just under 20 minutes, missing the final 6:06 of play.