Mateo’s Hoop Diary: New York Liberty won Game 5, claiming the WNBA championship

The New York Liberty won Game 5, celebrating their championship efforts in front of their supporters. Despite Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu laying more bricks than the cartel (five of 34), New York’s Jonquel Jones, Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally carried them to the title. In a physical game, the hosts took 17 more free throw attempts, and Stewart was bailed out by the refs late in the fourth quarter. And Jones claimed the Finals MVP trophy. 

Observations:

• New York played stiff through much of the first half and shot 28.6% from the field.  They converted 12 of 37 attempts in the last two quarters against Minnesota’s stiff defense.

• Jonquel Jones got anything she wanted near the rim.

• Collier was unstoppable on rim rolls, a back door cut and a face-up from the outside. 

• Ionescu and Stewart were missing makeable shots from long and short range throughout the game 

• Minnesota’s poor start offensively in the third quarter allowed New York to gain confidence. 

• Nyara Sabally supplied instant production from the bench. She bothered opposing actions and effectively went to the body like a heavyweight fighter. Two straight buckets from her late in the third quarter took the lead for the Liberty, causing a Lynx stoppage. Then she briefly retook it for the team on a trip to the line. She was tied with Stewart and Leonie Fiebich as New York’s second-leading scorer (13).

• Kayla McBride contributed a few big buckets on the dribble in the fourth quarter for Minnesota as the game was in balance. 

• Fiebich provided a boost in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter with a basket and free throws. She also added two steals and seven rebounds for the night.

• Stewart traveled before getting rewarded with a whistle by the refs with five seconds left in the fourth. It was seen on replay. 

• Spike Lee was on his knees in overtime.

• Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton drew a key charge on Sabally with 93 seconds left in OT as the scoreboard read 65-62 in favor of the Liberty. The Lynx didn’t score the rest of the way, even when Carleton had a good enough look from the wing to tie. 

• Williams had a terrible turnover when checked back into overtime in the last minute. 

• After the game, coach Chery Reeve said it was a “shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this.” She also advocated for changing the challenge rules and insisted it was not a foul against Stewart that should have been reversed. 

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