In a battle with the best team in each conference, the Minnesota Lynx defeated the New York Liberty 94-89 on Tuesday to win the WNBA’s fourth annual Commissioner’s Cup.
The victory clinched a second consecutive Commissioner’s Cup victory for the Liberty and secured a $500,000 prize to be distributed among Lynx players. The cash prize is a boon in a league with a salary cap of roughly $1.4 million and an average salary just above $100,000. Each player earns at least $30,000 for the win.
In a game that was close throughout, the Liberty opened a 50-47 halftime lead after Courtney Vandersloot closed the first half with a layup in the closing seconds of the second quarter. The score remained close until late in the third quarter, when it was tied at 60-60 with 49 seconds left.
The Lynx then straddled the end of the third and beginning of the fourth on a 10-0 run to take a 70-60 lead.
The Liberty responded with a personal 9-0 from All-Star Breanna Stewart to cut their deficit to 1. But New York would never regain the lead.
Minnesota relied on its quick shooting and ball distribution to keep New York at bay and secure victory in a potential finals preview. The win for the Lynx is the second in two meetings with the Liberty, following an 84-67 win on May 25. The teams will conclude their regular season series with a rematch on July 2 in New York.
They won Lynx through a balanced effort, with five players scoring in double figures. Bridget Carleton led the way with 23 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals. She shot 8 of 10 from the field and hit 6 of 8 three-point attempts on a night when Minnesota as a team shot 48.3% (14 of 29) from beyond the arc.
Napheesa Collier was named MVP after posting 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. The Lynx shot 47.8% from the field, made all 14 of their free throw attempts and assisted on 26 of their 33 made field goals.
Stewart led the Liberty effort with 24 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Sabrina Ionescu added 23 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals, but struggled from three-point range on 2-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc.
