The New York Liberty’s title drought is officially over. After 28 seasons, New York finally has its first WNBA championship, the last of the league’s original franchises to do so. In keeping with what’s been a heart-pounding WNBA Finals, Sunday’s Game 5 came down to the wire, with New York gritting out a 67–62 overtime win over the Minnesota Lynx. One year after watching the Las Vegas Aces celebrate on their home court, it was the Liberty’s turn to bask in the spoils of victory in front of the Barclays Center crowd.
It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t New York’s most inspired performance, but Sandy Brondello’s group stuck it out. Perhaps fitting then that Jonquel Jones, the squad’s bellwether and sometimes thankless piece, earned Finals MVP honors. After four Finals appearances, Jones has a title and Finals MVP hardware to go along with it. She kept New York in the game on Sunday night as the team struggled to gain momentum, notching 17 points and six rebounds.
