Lynx Bite Liberty's Chance at Homecourt Clinch

The New York Liberty missed out on a chance to clinch the top seed on the WNBA playoff bracket.

Jun 25, 2024; Belmont Park, New York, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

BROOKLYN-The New York Liberty missed out on homecourt advantage in more ways than one on Sunday afternoon.

Clinching the top seed on the WNBA playoff bracket will have to wait, as the Liberty dropped an 88-79 decision to the Minnesota Lynx at Barclays Center. Minnesota (29-9) led by as much as 26 before the Liberty beautified the final score with a furious yet futile rally in the fourth quarter that trimmed the deficit all the way down to seven before the Lynx re-brandished their claws.

Five different visitors reached double-figures for the Lynx, led by 19 for Commissioner's Cup heroine Bridget Carleton. Limited to one shot in the prior meeting in early July, New York's lone win in three meetings, Carleton built most of her tally with a 5-of-7 outing from three-point range. Elsewhere in the box score, Napheesa Collier had a 18-point, 13-rebound double-double while Myisha Hines-Allen had 12 off the bench.

Perhaps the most positive development of Sunday's game was the fact that the Liberty won't have to face the Lynx again until a potential showdown in the WNBA Finals: Minnesota has long been locked into top three seed and they kept their hopes for No. 1 alive with the metropolitan madness. The Lynx are the only team to defeat the Liberty on multiple occasions this season.

The deadliest threats from deep in the W this season, Minnesota made it clear from the get-go that it would not serve the top seed on a silver platter, jumping out to a 30-17 lead on the back of four three-pointers (two by Carleton). It was just the fourth time the Liberty let up 30 in a period this season and the second they did so over a first 10 ... the other being a May 25 loss to the same Lynx.

The second period was more evenly matched by the Lynx bit down on the victory by scoring the first 11 points of the third that pushed the lead to 24. Forced to climb their way back, Stewart built most of a massive statistical haul in the comeback and wound up tying Sabrina Ionescu's franchise record with her 13th game of at least 30 points. Ionescu struggled to the tune of a 4-of-21 output from the field, scoring 13 with eight assists.

The Liberty's magic number to ensure the road to the Finals runs through Brooklyn is still stationed at one. They'll have two more chances to clinch, starting with a Tuesday night visit to Washington (7 p.m. ET, WWOR).

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