MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 27, 2026 — The eighth-seeded New York Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91–75 at Target Center in Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA first-round series. Breanna Stewart led New York with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, according to the league’s game recap and the Liberty’s team report.
How New York took control
New York led 25–18 after the first quarter, but Minnesota went into halftime ahead 44–40. The Liberty moved back in front with a 25–16 third quarter and closed the game by outscoring the Lynx 26–15 in the fourth. The Liberty made 13 of 25 three-point attempts, matching their franchise record for a playoff game, the team reported.
Stewart shot 11 for 18 from the field and added two steals and two blocks. Leonie Fiebich scored 16 points, including four three-pointers, and Sabrina Ionescu added 13. Nia Brodie led Minnesota with 16 points off the bench, according to the league’s recap. The game was a significant road win, but it settled only the first game of the series.
What comes next
The WNBA’s game page lists New York as leading the series 1–0. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday in New York. Minnesota would need to win to force a third game; the Liberty would advance with another victory. These are the series conditions as of this report, not a prediction of the next result.
The Liberty said they became the first No. 8 seed to win a WNBA playoff game against a No. 1 seed. That milestone concerns a single game, not a completed series. For another postseason roster development in baseball, see AskNovus’s report on the Astros’ Wild Card roster.
Sources
- WNBA, Liberty–Lynx Game 1 recap and score, Sept. 27, 2026.
- New York Liberty, Game 1 team report, Sept. 27, 2026.
Featured image: illustrative basketball court photograph by TJ Dragotta / Unsplash; it does not show the Liberty–Lynx game.
[…] The awards arrived as the postseason began. For game coverage, AskNovus reported on Breanna Stewart’s 34-point performance in New York’s Game 1 win over Minnesota. […]