Jonquel Jones had 21 points with 12 rebounds as the host New York Liberty exacted some revenge by storming past the Minnesota Lynx 76-67 on Tuesday in a clash between a pair of top teams.
The Liberty closed the game on a 15-2 run as the Lynx went 7:30 without a point in the fourth quarter.
The win pushed the Liberty to a WNBA-best 17-3 on the season, while extending their winning streak to five games. Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart each added 17 for New York.
Kayla McBride scored 17 points for the Lynx (14-5), who still own the best record in the Western Conference.
The game featured eight lead changes and eight ties.
It was a rematch of the Commissioners Cup championship game won by the Lynx 94-89 last week.
Both teams had big runs in the first half. The Liberty grabbed a 16-11 lead on a put-back by Jones with 3:40 left in the first quarter, but the Lynx responded with an 11-4 run to end the quarter highlighted by 3-pointers from McBride and Cecilia Zandalasini.
Minnesota carried the momentum into the second quarter putting together an 8-2 run capped by a fast break lay-up by Napheesa Collier to go ahead 30-24. A 3-pointer by Alanna Smith gave the Lynx a 35-28 advantage, their biggest of the first half.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton sank a 3-pointer from the wing, and Jones, followed by another 3-pointer with 2:01 left to push the Liberty ahead 40-39. McBride ended the Lynx drought with a 3-pointer for the last points of the half leaving the teams tied 42-42 at the break.
New York started the third quarter 1 of 9 from the field, while Minnesota grabbed a 51-44 lead after a Collier basket in the lane. Again the momentum changed as the Lynx’s lead was cut to 59-58 after three quarters.
Minnesota led 65-61 with eight minutes left after McBride made a free throw on a technical foul called on Jones for shoving McBride.
–Field Level Media
