Don’t panic – Liberty is looking to bounce back from its Game 1 upset

NEW YORK – Skipping Game 1 at home wasn't what the New York Liberty had planned for their way to the WNBA Finals.

Neither has blown a 15-point lead with 5:20 left to play. It was the first time in 184 WNBA postseason games that a team won after trailing by at least that many points in the final five minutes of regulation.

But at practice in Brooklyn on Saturday, the top-seeded Liberty indicated that while it had learned from its mistakes in Game 1, it had overcome the shock and pain of starting the series in such a heartbreaking way.

“Don’t panic, that’s the most important thing,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said. “It's a series. We're disappointed we didn't finish it, but credit goes to Minnesota. They didn't miss a shot on the home stretch. We have become too passive, and there are things we can learn from and get better at next.”

“It’s the finale,” Jonquel Jones added. “We won't give up after a game, especially a game that we were more than capable of winning. A game that we played really well for the most part. We are good. We’ll be back.”

After a hot start, New York led by as many as 18 points in the second quarter but allowed No. 2 seed Minnesota to pull away, and the Lynx pulled to within two points in the third quarter. The Liberty went on a fourth-period run to seemingly keep Minnesota at bay, leading 81-66 with 5:20 left – at which point they had a 99.2% win probability, according to ESPN Research. But Minnesota closed regular time with an 18-3 run and ultimately prevailed 95-93 in overtime.

It was the largest lost lead in WNBA Finals history.

“Everyone is disappointed, but you have to keep the job,” Brondello said. “We can’t think about how that felt. We can't change it. So what are we going to do about it?”

Even outside of the final five minutes, New York struggled on both ends of the floor. Brondello felt that the Liberty didn't play fast enough and were too passive on offense. Otherwise, they were deficient in their transition defense and made the Lynx feel uncomfortable running their offense. According to two-time MVP Breanna Stewart, the team believes they can control this.

“That's the thing. We know we can do much better,” she said.

While the Lynx have beaten the Liberty four of five meetings this year, the precedent is on New York's side, at least before Game 2: The Liberty have not lost consecutive games since the end of May. Most recently, they rebounded from a Game 3 semifinal loss to Las Vegas, in which they trailed by as many as 25 points, to wrap up the series two days later.

“We usually respond pretty well,” Brondello said. “We can’t go in and feel anxious or overdo it. We have to play right. We always say: Stay true to who we are. We can’t go and reinvent the wheel.”

Teams that won Game 1 en route to the Finals went 10-3 in the series. Three teams – Detroit Shock in 2006 and Minnesota Lynx in 2015 and 2017 – won the finals after losing Game 1 at home. How big is game 2? All 20 teams that lost 0-2 in the best-of-five format ultimately lost the series.

“I think we’re really hungry and eager to get back on our feet,” Stewart said. “One thing I’ve thought about a lot is that combat is a beautiful thing, and that’s where we’ve just gotten to.”

Stewart in particular feels this urge to change things. With 0.8 seconds left, she missed a crucial free throw that would have given the Liberty a one-point lead. Then, at the end of overtime, she missed a layup that would have tied the game.

“Because I am who I am, that’s why I’m in the positions I am,” Stewart said. “And a game won’t reflect what I do. That being said, of course I think: WTF.”

“I think what really drives and motivates me is that we have the opportunity to change it. I have the opportunity to change it.”

Over the last two days, Brondello has tried to remind the Liberty who they are, and the players have “tackled everything head on and taken responsibility for all actions,” Stewart added.

“And that’s why we’re professionals. S— happened, and what should we do now?”

Still, there's a fine line between being motivated by the past and being weighed down by it, Brondello noted — and the latter won't do New York any good, she said.

“You can’t change the past,” Brondello said. “This will hold us back if we don’t give it up.”

Game 2 takes place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and will air on ABC before the series moves to Minneapolis for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4.