BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The New York Liberty made WNBA playoffs 2026 history on Tuesday night. Jonquel Jones had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the eighth-seeded Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 87-71 in Game 2 and moved on to the semifinals.
The same night, Indianapolis saw a very different kind of survival.
How the Liberty finished the job
New York won the best-of-three series 2-0, and neither game was close in the fourth quarter.
The clincher was decided early. The Liberty led by five after one quarter and then scored nine of the final 11 points of the second to lead 49-37 at halftime. Minnesota trimmed the margin to nine late in the third quarter, but the Liberty answered with three-pointers that ended the comeback attempt.
Breanna Stewart added 21 points and Sabrina Ionescu had 18 for New York. Ionescu also led the game with seven assists. Courtney Williams scored 18 for Minnesota, and Napheesa Collier had 14.
Game 1 set the tone
The series was tilted on Sunday in Minneapolis. Stewart scored 34 points with 12 rebounds in a 91-75 win, and the Liberty outscored Minnesota 51-31 in the second half. She shot 11 of 18 from the field, with her former UConn teammate Collier guarding her for most of the afternoon.
The Lynx also beat themselves at the foul line. Coach Cheryl Reeve complained afterward that her team gave Stewart 12 free throws by fouling late in the shot clock. Collier and Natasha Howard both fouled out.
The Lynx’s season ends earlier than expected
Minnesota had the league’s best record, and it also had Olivia Miles. The rookie was unanimously named Rookie of the Year the day before Game 2, then finished the game with five points. In Game 1 she went 3 for 12 from the field for 11 points, with one assist.
Reeve’s team had been struggling against this opponent all year. The Lynx lost all four meetings with New York in 2026, and Reeve has pointed to the first of them, on July 3, as the start of a downturn. Minnesota’s defensive rating was at its worst this season against the Liberty, per the Star Tribune. The Lynx are also the first No. 1 seed to lose in the first round since the league dropped byes for top seeds in 2022.
US Sports Media Analysis: Why this wasn’t a fluke
This section is our analysis, not reporting.
Calling the Liberty a true No. 8 seed misses the point. In the WNBA playoffs 2026, seeding reflects a full regular season, and it can lag behind how a team is playing in September. The Liberty’s core is Stewart, Jones and Ionescu, and this series showed the roster’s ceiling is far above a typical last seed.
Three things stand out from the two games:
- Stewart against Collier. Minnesota’s best answer to Stewart was one of the league’s best defenders, and it still lost that matchup badly in Game 1. Once Collier was in foul trouble, the Lynx had little else to turn to.
- Free throws and foul trouble. Minnesota’s fouls in Game 1 put its star players on the bench and gave New York easy points. The Lynx never solved that.
- Jones on the glass. Jones controlled the boards in the clincher, which limited Minnesota’s second chances when its shooters went cold.
There is also a motivation angle. The Liberty lost a first-round series to Phoenix last year after winning Game 1. Nothing suggests they were complacent this time. It is reasonable to think that memory helped them close it out.
The Fever stay alive behind Clark’s best night
Elsewhere in the WNBA playoffs 2026, the sixth-seeded Fever beat the defending champion Las Vegas Aces 99-89 in Indianapolis to even their best-of-three series at 1-1. Caitlin Clark finished with 27 points and 15 assists and became the first player in league history with a points-assists double-double in the first half of a playoff game.
She had help. Kelsey Mitchell scored 26, and Aliyah Boston added 22 points and five assists.
The paint decided this one. Indiana scored 58 of its points inside, compared with 26 for Las Vegas, and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds to the Aces’ seven. That was a reversal from the opener, when A’ja Wilson dominated the middle and Las Vegas controlled the game. The Aces scored 102 points in Game 1.
It still wasn’t comfortable. Clark fouled out with 2:45 left, and the Aces cut a double-digit deficit to 92-87 before the Fever held on.
Off the court: ESPN reported that Wilson had to be restrained by teammates after confronting a fan late in the game. She later called the fan’s words and actions unacceptable.
What each team needs next
Liberty: Rest and health matter now. New York will face the winner of the Atlanta-Washington series, and the Dream lead it 1-0 with Game 2 in Washington on Wednesday. The semifinals are best-of-five. The Liberty should be able to keep their rotation fresh while the other series plays out.
Fever: Indiana has to keep winning the paint battle. If it turns into a jump-shooting game against Wilson, the outcome likely changes. Clark’s foul trouble is also a risk. The Fever can’t afford to lose her early in a game where each possession counts.
Aces: Las Vegas needs to protect the rim and slow Clark’s passing without fouling. It also has to keep composure. The Fever’s momentum and the crowd noise are unlikely to carry over to Las Vegas, but the pressure on the defending champion is real.
Date, time and how to watch Game 3
The winner-take-all Game 3 between the Aces and Fever is Thursday, Oct. 1, at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. The tip time and TV details had not been announced at the time of publication. Check WNBA.com for the latest listing.
What happens next
The WNBA playoffs 2026 now move to the semifinals and the Liberty wait for their opponent. The Fever and Aces play a deciding game on Thursday. Minnesota’s offseason starts a round earlier than anyone expected, while the WNBA playoffs 2026 keep delivering surprises. The Lynx will have plenty to review, from their defensive problems against New York to how a season with the league’s top record and Coach of the Year honors ended after two games.
Sources – Star Tribune
