Liberty complete historic sweep of top-seeded Lynx
New York’s 87–71 win made Minnesota the first No. 1 seed to lose a first-round series to an eighth seed.
The eighth-seeded New York Liberty eliminated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx with an 87–71 win on Tuesday, completing a two-game sweep and advancing in the 2026 WNBA playoffs.
The result marks the first time a No. 1 seed has lost a first-round series to a No. 8 seed. The teams had met in the 2024 WNBA Finals.
Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart each scored 21 points for New York. Jones also had 13 rebounds, while Sabrina Ionescu contributed 18 points and seven assists.
Minnesota shot 38.2 per cent from the field. Courtney Williams led the Lynx with 18 points as their season ended after a 33–11 regular-season record and a second consecutive top seed.
New York’s next opponent will be the winner of the Atlanta Dream–Washington Mystics series. Atlanta led 1–0, with Game 2 scheduled for Wednesday.
