Liberty outlast Sun, 87-84, clinch first WNBA Finals trip in 21 years
UNCASVILLE, Conn. (AP) — Jonquel Jones scored 25 points, including five in the final minute, and the New York Liberty earned its first trip to the WNBA Finals in 21 years with an 87-84 win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday.
The former Sun star added 15 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Liberty, who will face defending champion Las Vegas Aces in a matchup of the league's two so-called “super teams” that starts on Oct. 8.
League MVP Breanna Stewart led New York with 27 points and Betnijah Laney added 21 in the Game 4 clincher of the best-of-five series.
MVP runner-up Alyssa Thomas had 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists for Connecticut. It was her first triple-double of the post-season after recording a record six during the regular season. Tiffany Hayes had 15 points and DiJonai Carrington added 14 for the Sun, who were trying to make it back to the Finals for a second consecutive season.
A 3-pointer from Stewart with 2 minutes left gave the Liberty a 77-75 lead. The New York fans chanted “MVP” as she sank two foul shots on her next trip down the court.
But DeWanna Bonner brought the Sun to within a point with a long 3-pointer of her own.
The Sun then lost a challenge on Hayes' foul with 56 seconds left and Jones sank two free throws to make it an 81-78 game. She made two more foul shots after stealing a Hayes pass and put the Liberty up five.
A 3-pointer from Tyasha Harris made it an 85-84 game with 7.6 seconds left. But Stewart sank two foul shots on the other end to seal the win as Connecticut couldn't get a final shot off.
Laney had 15 of her points in the first half, Stewart had 14 and the Liberty led by a point at the break, after eight lead changes in the first half.
Her first 3-pointer of the second half highlighted a 13-0 run that stretched back into the first half and gave the Liberty a 52-44 advantage.
A turnaround jumper from Stewart made it 62-51 and the Liberty led 66-58 after three periods.
Thomas and Jones tangled under the basket early in the fourth quarter and Thomas, who was bent over awkwardly on the floor, stayed down and was helped to the locker room. But she was back a few minutes later.
That play seemed to spark the Sun. A short jumper from Harris highlighted a 16-5 run that saw the Sun tie the game at 69 on a 3-pointer by Carrington.
A 3-pointer from Bonner gave the Sun the lead back at 72-71.
New York split the four regular-season meetings against the defending champion Aces, who advanced to the finals for the third time in four years, sweeping Dallas in the semifinals.
This will be New York’s fifth appearance in the Finals, but their first since 2002.
