MINNEAPOLIS — The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2 to sweep the first-round WNBA playoff series. The victory made the Liberty the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in league history.

Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Breanna Stewart added 21 points, while Sabrina Ionescu contributed 18 points.

"I feel like we had an advantage in our size against them, and I wanted to make my impact early," Jones said. "If a shot is going up I felt like I had to be in the paint and set the tone for the night."

Courtney Williams scored 18 points for the Minnesota Lynx. Napheesa Collier added 14 points. Olivia Miles scored 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting in 17 minutes and committed a Flagrant-1 foul on Stewart.

Courtney Williams said: "New York is a great basketball team. You dig a hole for yourself and try to get out of it. We wanted to go on a run, but they had answers for everything."

Miles, the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 assists per game during the regular season. Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve addressed the challenges facing her young star.

"It was hard being a rookie in your first playoffs against a matchup of a team that has been a challenge for her," Reeve said. "I think she's feeling it right now, but this is what we expected. It's not easy. There's a lot that goes with being a really good player. Some of it is being targeted and focused and trying to put you in your tougher spots. She's a smart player, she'll figure it out."

Stewart reached a career milestone during the series, recording her 300th career game with at least 15 points, ranking sixth in WNBA history. The Liberty will play the winner of the Atlanta Dream and Washington Mystics series in the semifinals. The Atlanta Dream lead the Washington Mystics 1-0 in their first-round series.

Why It Matters

The New York Liberty became the first 8th seed in WNBA history to defeat a 1st seed in the playoffs, marking only the third 8th-seed upset in league history. The Minnesota Lynx finished the regular season with a league-best 33 wins and a 26-18 record in 2026, finishing first in the WNBA standings despite Napheesa Collier playing at 80% capacity due to ankle surgery. The Lynx have never won a WNBA championship, despite finishing with the best regular-season record in 2026.

The Minnesota Lynx have a 0-3 all-time playoff series record when they lose the first game of a best-of-three series under head coach Cheryl Reeve. Reeve was named the WNBA Coach of the Year. The New York Liberty finished the regular season with a 26-18 record. The New York Liberty previously lost to the Phoenix Mercury in the first round of the 2025 playoffs, despite defeating them in Game 1 of a best-of-three series.

Timeline

On 2026-09-21, the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 91-75 in Game 1 of their WNBA playoff series. Breanna Stewart scored 34 points, had 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks for the New York Liberty in Game 1. Olivia Miles scored 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting with one assist and eight rebounds for the Minnesota Lynx in Game 1.

Leonie Fiebich made 4 of 5 three-point shots for the New York Liberty in Game 1. During post-game interviews on 2026-09-21, players and coaches reflected on the performance. One observer noted, "She's a dog. She's incredible. … She just does whatever it takes to win, whatever it takes, and the ball found her in the second half, and she knocked down 3s — obviously huge for us. Leo was unbelievable." Stewart stated, "We knew the shots that we were going to get. We had a few days to really practice that and be intentional. And whenever we were able to draw two, kick it to the open person and shoot it with confidence." She also said, "I was just really ready. If you don't get up for these big moments, then you gotta rethink why you're playing basketball. From myself, mentally, just ready to do whatever it took to lead the team and get the win today. My teammates found me and got me good looks at the basket." Another comment showed defensive versatility: "She's just everywhere. We talk a lot about putting out fires as coaches and where's the threat. She's just constantly putting it out. We can feel when she's out there, it gives us confidence."

What's New

Additional details emerged regarding individual performances.

Breanna Stewart recorded her 300th career game with at least 15 points (regular season and playoffs combined), ranking sixth in WNBA history. According to reports, Olivia Miles, the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year, averaged 19.8 points and 6.0 assists per game during the regular season but was held to 5 points on 1-of-8 shooting in Game 2 of the playoffs.

How Sources Differ

Reporting on player statistics shows variation across different game summaries. The WNBA Game 2 box score states that Jonquel Jones scored 21 points and had 13 rebounds for the New York Liberty in Game 2.