Liberty look to secure first-ever WNBA title in Game 4 against Lynx on TSN
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The New York Liberty have the chance to bring home the franchise’s first-ever championship in Game 4 tonight against the Minnesota Lynx.
New York has a 2-1 series lead over Minnesota with a chance to clinch that elusive title on the road.
Watch Game 4 of the WNBA Finals LIVE at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on TSN2 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App.
The Liberty is one of the WNBA’s eight original franchises from the league’s founding in 1997, and with five previous trips to the Finals, they’re hoping tonight is sixth time’s the charm.
New York guard Sabrina Ionescu delivered the defining moment of her career in Game 3, draining a 28-foot three-pointer with one second remaining in the fourth quarter to secure an 80-77 win for the Liberty.
While Ionescu gets the headlines, it was Breanna Stewart’s play in Game 3 that allowed for Ionescu to have her moment.
Stewart had 30 points and 11 rebounds with four blocked shots and was responsible for 22 of New York’s 45 points in the second half.
“We don’t win this game without Stewie,” Ionescu said postgame on Wednesday. “There’s nothing I can say. That shot’s nice, but what she was able to do for us tonight willed us back into the game.”
Minnesota is looking to bounce back and push the series to a deciding Game 5. Napheesa Collier continued to pace the team in Game 3 with 22 points and nine rebounds while Kayla McBride stepped up with 19 points, including five three-pointers.
The health of starting forward Alanna Smith will be critical for the Lynx in Game 4. Smith took a hard fall during the second quarter in Game 3 and was limited to just over six and a half minutes in the second half while visibly dealing with back discomfort.
"I'm banged up, I won't lie," Smith said Thursday as the teams met with media. "But we're in the WNBA Finals. How your body feels shouldn't matter that much. Everybody is playing through aches and pains at this point. A big part of what helps me is my teammates. I have a great support system and am not going through it alone.
"It was just a really physical game. I feel like the refs let a lot of stuff go with both teams. You're kind of forced to go with how it's called. You deal with it."