The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 80-66 on Sunday in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals to tie the series 1-1, with an incredible performance by Breanna Stewart. The forward broke two records in a very intense game from beginning to end.
Stewart became the first player in WNBA Finals history to record 15+ points, 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists, and 6+ STL in a game. She ended the match with 21 points, 8 rebounds, five assists and seven steals. With the latter, she is also the player with most steals in a Final game in WNBA history, according to StatMamba.
She joins Alyssa Thomas in 2019 as the only players to record 20 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in a Finals game, according to ESPN Research. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton also added 20 to help the New York Liberty.
Much like in Game 1, New York built a double-digit lead in the first half, only to watch it slip away. This time, however, they held their ground. Actually, ahead of Game 2, Stewart said that the team needed to take “accountability” for their mistakes in the first clash.
With the win, New York avoided a 0-2 deficit and the daunting task of needing a historic comeback. All 20 teams that have fallen behind 2-0 in a best-of-five Finals have gone on to lose the series. The third game of the series takes place on Wednesday night at Target Center.
Stewart received the visit from UConn coach Geno Auriemma
Game 2 attracted a sellout crowd of 18,046, featuring famous names like Jennifer Hudson, Katie Couric, Fat Joe, and UConn coach Geno Auriemma. Auriemma had interests in both teams with Stewart and Napheesa Collier.
At the end of the match, Stewart reunited with him, and brought her son Theo. “I kind of texted him, and I was like you know what, it’s about time. I’ve been here two years and he hasn’t come down,” she said, according to journalist Emily Adam, about his visit.