The New York Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91–75 at Target Center in Minneapolis on Sunday 27 September, taking a 1–0 lead in their best-of-three WNBA playoff series. Breanna Stewart scored 34 points to lead the eighth seeds, while Minnesota lost both Napheesa Collier and Natasha Howard to fouls. The Liberty Lynx Game 1 result leaves the Lynx one defeat from elimination, according to the WNBA’s official recap.
No top seed has failed to advance since the league switched to its current playoff format in 2022, Yahoo Sports noted. New York can now become the first by winning Game 2 at home on Tuesday.
How the Liberty Won Liberty Lynx Game 1
The game turned after half-time. Minnesota led 44–40 at the break, but New York answered with an 11–2 run in the third quarter and held the Lynx to just 31 points after the interval, Yahoo Sports reported.
Stewart led the way. The two-time MVP finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks on 11-of-18 shooting. Leonie Fiebich added 16 points, making four of her five three-point attempts, while Sabrina Ionescu scored 13.
In addition, the Liberty shot 13 of 25 from three-point range. Jonquel Jones played through an ankle injury and scored eight points. “It doesn’t mean anything right now,” Jones said afterwards, as quoted by Yahoo Sports.
Lynx Hit by Foul Trouble in Game 1 Defeat to the Liberty
Minnesota’s problems went beyond the scoreline. Collier, who guarded her former college teammate Stewart for much of the night, fouled out alongside Howard, MPR News reported.
Rookie guard Olivia Miles also had a difficult playoff debut. She scored 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting with one assist and eight turnovers, according to Yahoo Sports. Nia Brodie led the Lynx with 16 points off the bench, and Kayla McBride added 14.
Head coach Cheryl Reeve was frustrated with her side’s defending. “We can’t give her 12 free throws,” she said of Stewart, as quoted by the WNBA.
Aces Beat Fever as A’ja Wilson Scores 38
Elsewhere, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces thrashed the Indiana Fever 102–85. A’ja Wilson scored 38 points with 16 rebounds and four blocks, the Associated Press reported. Earlier that day, she had been named AP WNBA Player of the Year for a third straight season.
Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists for Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Chelsea Gray’s eight assists moved her to second on the all-time playoff assists list with 397. For Indiana, Aliyah Boston scored 18 points and Caitlin Clark posted 15 points and 10 assists.
Valkyries and Dream Take Control
The Golden State Valkyries hammered the Dallas Wings 104–80, setting a franchise scoring record in the process. Golden State outscored Dallas 37–11 in the second quarter and led 58–31 at half-time, according to Yahoo Sports.
Cecilia Zandalasini led the Valkyries with 22 points, while Tiffany Hayes scored 21 off the bench and Gabby Williams added 20. Paige Bueckers scored 21 points on 9-of-10 shooting for Dallas. “It starts with me so I gotta be better,” she said, as quoted by Yahoo Sports. Her playoff debut followed a week in which she broke two scoring records.
Finally, the Atlanta Dream came from 11 points down to beat the Washington Mystics 92–77. Rhyne Howard scored 26 points with five steals, and Allisha Gray added 22, the AP reported. Atlanta forced 22 turnovers and set a franchise playoff record with 16 steals, while Angel Reese had 13 points and 12 rebounds in her first playoff game.
WNBA Playoffs Game 2 Schedule
The lower seeds host Game 2, with any deciding Game 3 returning to the higher seed’s arena, CBS Sports explained. Here is how the first round stands:
- Liberty 1–0 Lynx: Game 2 in New York on Tuesday 29 September
- Aces 1–0 Fever: Game 2 in Indianapolis on Tuesday at 6:30pm ET (Prime Video)
- Dream 1–0 Mystics: Game 2 in Washington on Wednesday 30 September
- Valkyries 1–0 Wings: Game 2 in Dallas on Wednesday at 8pm CT (ESPN)
Losing Game 1 is not always fatal, though. In 2025, two teams that dropped the opener still went on to win their series, Bleacher Report noted.
For the full format and TV channels, see our WNBA playoffs 2026 guide. You can also revisit our Liberty vs Dream preview from the final week of the regular season.
