Liberty Achieve Historic WNBA Upset by Sweeping Top-Seeded Lynx

Key points

• New York Liberty won Game 2 87-71 to complete a 2-0 series sweep of the Minnesota Lynx.
• The Liberty became the first No. 8 seed to eliminate the No. 1 seed in the 30-year history of the WNBA.
• Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 21 points and 13 rebounds in the clinching game.
• Breanna Stewart scored 21 points and played all 40 minutes, while Sabrina Ionescu recorded 18 points and 7 assists.
• The Liberty will face the winner of the Atlanta Dream-Washington Mystics series in the semifinals.

Background

The 2026 WNBA playoffs featured unprecedented parity, with the top eight teams separated by only seven games in the regular season. The Minnesota Lynx entered the playoffs as the unanimous favorites to win the championship, boasting the league's best record. The Liberty had a difficult regular season, finishing with a 13-12 record at one point and facing skepticism about their playoff potential. A year earlier, the Liberty lost in the first round to Phoenix after going up 1-0 in that series.

How outlets are covering it

The New York Post emphasized the Liberty's mindset and their ability to ignore outside noise, highlighting Jonquel Jones' quote about not listening to external criticism. The Post also noted the team's improvement after the All-Star break, with coach Chris DeMarco stating the team was peaking at the right time. The Guardian focused on the historic nature of the upset, noting it was the first time a No. 8 seed eliminated a No. 1 seed in the current playoff format. The Guardian also detailed the physicality of the game, including a Flagrant-1 foul on Breanna Stewart, and the struggles of Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, who was benched for most of the second half. The Guardian noted that Cheryl Reeve won Coach of the Year and Olivia Miles won Rookie of the Year despite the loss. The ESPN source was inaccessible due to a 403 error.

Why it matters

This result is significant because it defied the pre-playoff consensus that the Lynx were the clear favorites to win the championship. The Liberty's success demonstrates the impact of postseason preparation and team cohesion, as they overcame a difficult regular season to reach the semifinals for the third time in four years. The upset also highlights the competitive nature of the 2026 WNBA season, which was defined by record parity among the top teams.

What to watch

The New York Liberty will wait for the winner of the Atlanta Dream-Washington Mystics series, which the Dream lead 1-0. The semifinals are scheduled to begin on Sunday. The Minnesota Lynx' season has ended in the quarterfinals, marking another disappointing exit for the top-seeded team despite their best regular-season record.