NEW YORK — After 28 years and six attempts, the New York Liberty have finally secured their first WNBA championship.

Despite falling behind by as much as 12 points and struggling with a mere 28.6% shooting (10 of 35) in the first half, the Liberty rallied to defeat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime during Game 5 on Sunday night at Barclays Center. Jonquel Jones topped New York’s scoring with 17 points, while Breanna Stewart contributed 13 points along with 15 rebounds.

With the Lynx ahead 60-58 and only 6.3 seconds remaining, the Liberty passed the ball to Stewart, whose shot seemed likely to miss—until a foul was called on Minnesota’s Alanna Smith, allowing Stewart to shoot free throws. With just 38.2 seconds left, Stewart had previously missed two free throws, but this time she made both, evening the score at 60 with 5.2 seconds left.

The Lynx tried to take advantage of their timeout to advance the ball, but Kayla McBride’s three-point attempt fell short, leading the game to overtime.

Rookie Leonie Fiebich opened overtime by sinking a three-pointer on New York’s first possession, paving the way for a dominant performance by the Liberty. Minnesota struggled, going 0-of-6 from the field during the overtime period and committing five turnovers.

Fiebich ended the game with 13 points and seven rebounds.

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The championship win in 2024 serves as a redemption for the Liberty after their loss in the 2023 Finals on home turf.

The Lynx managed to force a decisive Game 5 by securing victory in Game 4, winning on a pair of late free throws and pushing the series back to Brooklyn.

Initially, the Liberty struggled, shooting poorly in the first quarter, which allowed the Lynx to pull ahead with a 19-10 lead, leaving the crowd in shock. The Lynx led 34-27 at halftime as Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu connected for only 2-of-17 shots in the first half. Ionescu ended up with a challenging 1 of 19 shooting but came through with a crucial three-pointer with 3:09 left in regulation, helping New York gain a six-point lead. Ionescu also recorded eight assists and seven rebounds.

The game shifted momentum when Nyara Sabally stepped in, providing a significant boost to the team. In just 10 minutes, she scored nine points, including a layup with 3:07 remaining in the third quarter that granted the Liberty its first lead of the game.

Sabally made a critical steal and followed it with a layup early in overtime, giving New York a lead of 65-60. She finished the game with 13 points and six rebounds in just 14 minutes off the bench.

Napheesa Collier was the top scorer for the Lynx with 22 points and seven rebounds, while McBride scored 21 points.