New York Liberty take revenge against Minnesota Lynx after Commissioners Cup loss behind outstanding defense

Exactly one week apart, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx faced off. The first matchup was the Commissioners Cup final, which the Liberty won last season. But this time around, the Lynx rewrote the narrative by taking over in the third quarter and continuing to stride in the fourth quarter, leaving with the Cup and the $500,000 prize pool.

The second matchup of the week did not disappoint. It was a similar game to the Cup, leading down to the final minutes. Except this time around, the Liberty got their revenge on their home floor.

During the season so far, the Liberty have had a record of 17-3, two of those losses coming from the Lynx. Although they are off to their best start in franchise history, they just can't seem to shake off the Lynx, who are also having a hot start to the season. The game was defined by defense and the offenses trying to find a rhythm.

New York Liberty get revenge for Commissioner's Cup heartbreak vs. Lynx

Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 12 rebounds for New York, while Breanna Stewart added 17 and 17 rebounds. The Liberty trailed 65-61 late into the fourth quarter before forcing four turnovers and making the Lynx miss ten shots over the game's final eight minutes. Liberty scored 15 consecutive points in that span, going up nine with a minute left. The final score was 76-67 with New York taking the win.

Kayla McBride scored 17 points for the Lynx, and Napheesa Collier scored 15 points.

Last week, Jones was held without a field goal and only had three points. This time around, she finished the first half with 13 points and six rebounds. She also learned that she was named a WNBA All-Star after the game. Sabrina Ionescu missed the shootaround because she wasn't feeling well, but she was still going through warmups and was in the starting lineup as she finished with 17 points.

“She could’ve stayed home, but she understood the importance of this game," Jones said. “It’s a blessing to have a teammate like her.”

For the second half of New York, it was a defensive clinic. They stopped switching off screens unless they needed to. They forced the Lynx into difficult shots and crashed the boards after every shot.

The win against the Lynx might have been exactly what this New York team needed to regain its confidence after dropping them two games.