New York Liberty Eliminate Top-Seeded Lynx

The New York Liberty made WNBA playoff history on Tuesday night, becoming the first eighth seed to eliminate a top seed by sweeping the Minnesota Lynx with an 87-71 victory in Game 2. On the same night, the Indiana Fever preserved their season by defeating the Las Vegas Aces 99-89 to force a deciding Game 3 in their opening-round series.

Liberty Make WNBA History With Series Sweep

Playing at Barclays Center after stealing Game 1 in Minnesota, the eighth-seeded Liberty took control early against the top-seeded Lynx, building an early 10-point lead. New York maintained command throughout the contest to complete a two-game sweep and become the first team to advance to the 2026 WNBA semifinals.

Jonquel Jones led the Liberty inside with 21 points and 13 rebounds, while Breanna Stewart added 21 points, five rebounds, and four assists. Guard Sabrina Ionescu contributed 18 points and seven assists. Before the game, Stewart noted that the team remembered getting “smoked” at home in Game 2 during the previous postseason, using that memory to maintain high intensity under first-year head coach Chris DeMarco.

Minnesota Collapses in Opening Round

The loss marks the first time in WNBA playoff history that a number one seed was swept in the opening round. Minnesota held a lead for a total of just three minutes and 23 seconds across the entire two-game series, with all of that lead time occurring during Game 1.

Guard Olivia Miles, who was unanimously named WNBA Rookie of the Year on Monday, scored five points in Game 2 and sat out the final six minutes. Miles had returned for the playoffs after missing the end of the regular season with a calf injury and was held to two points in Game 1. Forward Napheesa Collier, who was urged by head coach Cheryl Reeve after Game 1 to play more assertively, finished with a combined 26 points across both losses. Kayla McBride scored 14 points in each match, while Courtney Williams managed nine points in the opener.

Fever Stay Alive Behind Clark’s Double-Double

In Tuesday’s earlier matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Indiana Fever extended their season with a 99-89 victory over the third-seeded Las Vegas Aces. The win levels the series at 1-1 and sends the matchup back to Las Vegas for Game 3 on Thursday.

Caitlin Clark led Indiana with 27 points, 15 assists, and seven rebounds, shooting 9-for-18 from the field and 5-for-11 from three-point range. Clark fouled out with two minutes and 45 seconds remaining while Indiana held a 92-83 lead. Kelsey Mitchell added 26 points and Aliyah Boston scored 22 for the Fever. Jackie Young scored 31 points for Las Vegas, while MVP front-runner A’ja Wilson registered 22 points and nine rebounds.

Background

The New York Liberty entered the postseason as an eighth seed after a 13-12 start to the regular season, keeping alive their pursuit of a second championship in three years. For Minnesota, the opening-round elimination represents a third consecutive early postseason exit, following a regular season in which they occupied the top spot in the league standings for most of the campaign.