WNBA Finals: Minnesota holds off New York, forcing winner-take-all Game 5 | WNBA

Bridget Carleton made two free throws with two seconds left and the Minnesota Lynx forced a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals by defeating the New York Liberty 82-80 on Friday night.

The teams meet Sunday night in New York in the first Game 5 of the finals since 2019, when Washington defeated Connecticut.

“The last 40 minutes of the season could be anywhere, we're going to go to war out there and I'm excited,” said Kayla McBride, who led the Lynx with 19 points.

Courtney Williams added 15 points for Minnesota, forcing Liberty stars Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu to have poor shooting nights. Ionescu's shot at the buzzer missed the rim.

“I think we’re excited,” Napheesa Collier said. “It’s Game 5 of the finals. We have to go out and execute.”

Unlike the first three games of the series, when one of the teams jumped out to a double-digit lead, this game was close throughout. There were 14 lead changes and 13 ties, and neither team led by more than six.

With the game tied at 80-0 with 18 seconds left, Williams dribbled to run out the clock and missed a jumper with a few seconds left. Carleton got the rebound in the lane and was fouled by Ionescu.

She calmly made both free throws, and Ionescu couldn't repeat her heroics in Game 3, when she made a 28-footer with one second left to give the Liberty a 2-1 lead.

“It was a little challenging to get (Jonquel Jones) to block, but Sabrina had to get out,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of the final possession. “Two seconds, try to establish the big girl downstairs. They defended it well.”

Jones had 21 points and Leonie Fiebich scored 19 for New York. Stewart, who scored 30 points in Game 3, had 11 points on 5 of 20 shooting, and Ionescu was 5 of 16 from the floor, scoring 10.

Minnesota is one win away from a record fifth WNBA title, which would break its tie with the Houston Comets and Seattle Storm. The Liberty are seeking their first title and have lost in the finals five times. The team was one of the original eight franchises when the league began in 1997 and is the only team in that group that has yet to win it all.

New York lost to Las Vegas in last season's finale. Friday night marked the anniversary of the Aces' one-year win in Game 4 last season.

The Lynx reached the finals for the first time since 2017, when they won the last of four championships in seven years.

Minnesota built a 77-72 lead with 3:14 left before New York scored eight of the next 11 points, including a three-point play by Jones with 1:10 left that made the score 80.

Both teams had chances before Carleton's free throws. McBride missed a layup with 56 seconds left, but the Lynx forced a shot clock violation on the other end when Stewart's shot in the lane missed with 18 seconds left.

“We wanted to do it tonight but like Sandy said, our fans are like no other. “Going into our community on Sunday and knowing that they have our backs when there are tough situations and adversities, we have the crowd behind us,” Stewart said. “I can’t wait for Sunday.”