At the start of Year 28 of the Liberty’s existence as one of the WNBA’s original teams, a WNBA championship had yet to be placed inside the trophy case.
They had five tries and came up short each time, most recently to the then-two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces in 2023.
But after some roster retooling, a No. 1 overall seed berth and the eventual exorcism of the rivals haunting them from Las Vegas, the Liberty got a sixth try at securing an elusive title.
This time they were victorious, needing to win an ugly, gutsy do-or-die Game 5 overtime matchup, 67-62, against the Minnesota Lynx following a third-quarter surge featuring a rarely used — if used at all — lineup that brought them back from the dead. The surge set up a fourth quarter riding the wave of a sold-out crowd hoping to witness a title return to New York City.
And helping with that surge was Jonquel Jones, who was awarded WNBA Finals MVP after recording 17 points and 6 rebounds in Game 5.
The regulation of Game 5 came down to Breanna Stewart again — just like it did in the heartbreaking Game 1 loss to the Lynx. This time, she drained two free throws that sent the game into overtime, 60-60, following a closeout on the other end.
Then Brondello’s team put on the clamps, winning the extra period, 7-2, behind a defensive outing that was fitting for a team literally fighting for a WNBA title. Leonie Fiebich’s length has been well-documented throughout the postseason, but on Sunday it was Nyara Sabally shutting down possessions. Her block on MVP runner-up Napheesa Collier with 1:18 remaining in OT capped a needed performance made possible with a ballsy adjustment by Sandy Brondello.
Sabally played the most minutes in Game 5 (17) including much of the late final moments.
Fitting for her, she grabbed her final rebound with 13 seconds left in Game 5 and was fouled by Collier, who walked off the floor with her sixth and final foul.
It was all cosmetic after that.
Payback from the Commissioner’s Cup secured. Redemption for a brutal home Game 4 loss in last year’s Finals secured.
And most importantly, the Liberty secured its first title in franchise history. The confetti then fell onto the Barclays Center hardwood for the first time as a title-winner — Liberty or Nets.
The finish was only made possible after a total effort shift entering the third quarter down seven points.
The message in the third quarter was clear: the Lynx were bossing the Liberty around and that needed to change in the final 20 minutes. It took way less than that.
Collier bossed her way through the paint — on both sides. Brondello took notice and made the adjustment.
A rare rotation featuring Sabally, Jones, Stewart, Ionescu and Fiebich suddenly turned into a bully-ball lineup spearheaded by the unsuspected player: Sabally.
Sabally was now bumping with bodies down low and then contributed nine points in a run the turned a seven-point halftime deficit to a three-point lead going into the fourth quarter. She finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.
Each Sabally point caused a deafening roar inside Barclays Center, and Jones and-1 layup with four minutes remaining in the third induced a cheer so loud that the official’s whistle couldn’t be heard.
Those efforts erased a dreadful start by the Liberty, a team that looked to be holding on to a thread while its biggest stars were coming up short.
The home crowd entered Barclays Center roaring, but were watching the wrong superstar putting her stamp on the game. Collier looked unguardable in the first half, making seven of her first 12 shots within the first 17 minutes of action.
Collier finished with a game-high 22 points.
There were no answers — or rotations – on her drives. And her turnaround jumper — that the home crowd wanted to see out of Stewart — were on display. While she carved the Liberty defense, the duo of Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu (0-of-8) combined for just two field goals in 17 attempts by halftime. Stewart eventually missed nine of her 15 shots for 13 points and 15 rebounds. Ionescu was a dreadful 1-of-19 for five points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
The team also failed to get Jones the ball consistently below the free-throw line. Brondello attempted to on a few drawn up after-timeout plays, which helped keep the game within reach.
The shortcomings, though, weren’t enough to stop the Liberty from securing the title.
On Sunday night, they popped champagne. Well deserved for a team needing all five gains to get into the record books.
“We’re WNBA champs. New York or nowhere,” Ionescu shouted during her on-court interview.