The superstar adds another title to her incredible trophy case.
Breanna Stewart is a champion once again. On Sunday night, the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx in a Game Five overtime thriller to capture the franchise’s first WNBA title and Stewart’s third overall.
In the final moments of regulation, the former UConn star drew a controversial foul off an in-bounds play that sent her to the line for a pair of free throws. Despite missing two shots from the stripe that would’ve tied the game on the previous possession, she sunk her attempts to force overtime. The Liberty controlled the extra period to earn a 67-62 victory.
Stewart finished the postseason averaging 19.4 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 11 games. This is her third WNBA championship (she also won in 2018 and 2020 with the Seattle Storm) to go along with four NCAA titles, three Olympic gold medals, three World Cups and two EuroLeague crowns.
She is now tied with Diana Taurasi for the second-most WNBA rings in UConn history behind only Sue Bird and Maya Moore (four each). Among that group, Stewart is the only one to do it with multiple teams. Of the 28 seasons in the league’s history, a Husky has come out on top in 19 of them.
While Stewart and the Liberty celebrated, the Minnesota Lynx — with Napheesa Collier, Dorka Juhász — experienced heartbreak. They led by as many as 12 in Game Five, only for New York to claw back after halftime.
Still, Collier had one of the best playoff runs in WNBA history. She averaged 23.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists while putting up performances of 38 and 42 points in back-to-back games to open the postseason. The Lynx were picked ninth in the league to start the season and Collier carried them to overtime in Game Five of the finals.
Despite the Finals loss, Napheesa Collier made WNBA postseason history pic.twitter.com/ikjPvxnICh
— espnW (@espnW) October 21, 2024