No. 8 Liberty sweep top-seeded Lynx to reach semifinals

The New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 87-71 on Tuesday, September 29, completing a two-game sweep and advancing to the WNBA semifinals. New York, seeded eighth, became the first No. 8 team in league playoff history to eliminate a No. 1 seed, ending the top-seeded Lynx’s season in the quarterfinals. Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart each scored 21 points for the Liberty, while Sabrina Ionescu added 18. Jones also had 13 rebounds. The win completed a series in which New York overcame the considerable difference in regular-season seeding to move on. The WNBA changed its playoff format in 2022 to allow the top eight teams to meet in the quarterfinals. Earlier formats did not always make a matchup between the first and eighth seeds possible. The Liberty’s result is therefore the first such elimination under the league’s playoff history, according to the reports. New York took control before halftime, building a 49-37 lead after scoring nine of the final 11 points in the second quarter. Minnesota did not get closer than seven points in the second half.