For two days, the Minnesota Lynx talked about starting fast. Living life behind big early in games wasn’t the way to go.
And then, to start Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, in a packed Target Center filled with a team-record 19,521 fans, against the New York Liberty, the Lynx roared out of the gate.
But then they forgot to finish.
Sabrina Ionescu poured in a long three-pointer with one second remaining, and Breanna Stewart scored 30 points as the Liberty beat the Lynx 80-77 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five Finals.
Game 4 is Friday at Target Center. If the Liberty win, they’re the champions. If the Lynx win, a deciding game would be Sunday in New York.
Stewart’s game mirrored that of her team. She scored just eight points in the first half, but 22 in the second.
Up a point entering the fourth quarter, the Lynx offense completely broke down. Minnesota made just five of 18 shots in the final 10 minutes. After shooting 50 percent and scoring 28 first-quarter points, the Lynx went 19-for-55 the rest of the way, scoring 49 points over the final 30 minutes.
The Lynx led 73-69 with 2:25 left when Liberty center Jonquel Jones hit a corner three. After Napheesa Collier missed at the other end, Jones scored again, giving the Liberty a 74-73 lead, its first since the opening quarter. After another Lynx miss, Ionescu hit a three-pointer with 55.6 seconds left to put the Liberty up four.
