The New York Liberty secured their first WNBA championship title in 28 years with a nail-biting overtime victory, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in a winner-take-all Game 5 on Monday morning (Manila time).
The Lynx appeared to have the upper hand in the first two quarters of the game, thanks to their strong defensive strategy.
New York came out strong in the third quarter, gaining their first lead late when Sabrina Ionescu passed to Nyara Sabally for a layup, giving them a 40-38 advantage.
Leading the charge, Jonquel Jones scored 17 points, helping the Lynx pull off an upset in their bid for a fifth title.
WNBA’s defensive player of the year, Minnesota's Napheesa Collier tallied 22 points before fouling out in overtime.
New York seized the momentum at the start of overtime by winning the jump ball. They quickly capitalized with a three-pointer from Leonie Fiebich, which proved crucial.
Sabally followed up with a layup, extending New York's lead to the largest margin of the game.
Jones was recognized as the Most Valuable Player of the WNBA Finals impressing basketball fans with a notable statistics.
The series between the Liberty and Lynx featured tightly contested matches, with all five games hinging on the final possessions. Two games required overtime, and one was won with a last-second shot.
