close
close

Yiamastaverna

Trusted News & Timely Insights

    • “Lynx takes Liberty behind Courtney Williams’ favorite plays.”
    Tennessee

    “Lynx takes Liberty behind Courtney Williams’ favorite plays.”

    Eira Gwyneth Posted on

    BROOKLYN, NEW YORK – When Courtney Williams signed with Minnesota as a free agent in February, the ninth-year guard knew she had to fine-tune her game and focus more on passing than scoring.

    After all, the Lynx have one of the best players in the world in Napheesa Collier, a forward who can score both inside and outside and make all sorts of defensive plays. Collier will almost always be the first choice, especially when the Lynx need a bucket in a late game situation.

    But it turns out the 5-foot-11 defensive back can still be a No. 1 offensive option — especially when her team needs her.

    Williams met two crazy people, how did that happen? 3 seconds, one with 5.5 seconds left in regulation and the other with 1:16 left in overtime, helping the Lynx to a stunning victory in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, defeating the New York Liberty 95. 93 at Barclays Center.

    Minnesota now leads the best-of-five series 1-0. Game 2 is at Barclays on Sunday before the series moves to Minneapolis for Game 3 and, if necessary, Game 4. Game 5 would again take place in New York.

    MORE: The WNBA Finals will be played in a best-of-seven series next year, commissioner says

    MORE: USA TODAY staff predictions for Liberty vs. Lynx

    Williams finished the game with a team-high 23 points, Kayla McBride added 22 and Collier contributed 21. As Defensive Player of the Year, Collier also had eight rebounds, six blocks and three steals.

    Williams’ most important points came down the stretch, a result, Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said, because the veteran playmaker recognized that “her team needed her to be more aggressive.”

    Trailing by 3 with 18 seconds left, Williams made a 3 with 5.5 seconds left – and drew a foul on Sabrina Ionescu for a possible four-point play. Her make came after her miss, and she got another shot (literally) due to an offensive board from Minnesota’s Alanna Smith. It was one of only five offensive rebounds the Lynx grabbed in the game, but it was huge. Williams knocked down the free throw to give the Lynx a one-point lead – the first time they led all night. New York coach Sandy Brondello called it a “grueling” sequence.

    After a chaotic back-and-forth on the other end, Breanna Stewart stepped to the finish line for two shots with 0.8 seconds left. She hit the first but missed the second, and suddenly the game went into overtime, even though New York had an 18-point lead at one point.

    Williams’ second big three came with 1:16 left in overtime with the Lynx rolling and the Liberty on their heels. Her 28-foot fly extended Minnesota’s lead back to four, and on the following possession she finished at the rim for two more points. Collier ended up hitting the game-winner, a tough turnaround fadeaway 12-footer with 8.8 seconds to play.

    Williams and Collier combined for 22 of Minnesota’s final 24 points.

    Stewart had a good look inside at the buzzer but couldn’t finish.

    The comeback was the largest in WNBA Finals history. In 1999, the Liberty rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the Houston Comets (Houston went on to win the championship).

    Williams, a Georgia native whose Southern accent always makes her teammates and coaches smile, said her late-game flurry of points “is a testament to how much we believe in each other.” We have so many great 3-pointers. Shooters and the fact that these girls are out here trying to get me the ball, I mean I could cry. This is amazing. I love it.

    “These people I’m with, we believe in each other so much. It’s crazy, man. I’m happy to be here.”

    The same cannot be said for the Liberty, who looked completely shocked after the game.

    Stewart, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, said of New York: “We’re taking it lightly.”

    “We were way ahead, then we had a wild sequence at the end of the fourth period, overtime didn’t start out great, I had a great look at the end and didn’t make it,” Stewart said. “But this is a series. We obviously wanted to win, but the nice thing is that we have another game on Sunday and we will be ready.”

    When she was asked afterwards about her favorite shots, she laughed.

    “Where does this rank come from, I don’t know. Right now it’s No. 1 because we’re 1-0 here,” Williams said.

    Then Reeve quipped, “I’m just glad she made a free throw.”

    The two went back and forth, further evidence of what Reeve said after Minnesota’s decisive win over Connecticut in the semifinals, when she admitted, “I didn’t really know what we were going to get (with Courtney). “In basketball, of course, I did I watched her play for years. But I don’t know if I knew exactly what we were getting in terms of the person or the coaching ability. You can tell her anything and I love that.”

    It’s true. As they studied the stat sheet together during Thursday’s postgame press conference, Reeve happily pointed out Williams’ five assists — and then wondered aloud, “Does the one you threw to Sabrina count?”

    Everyone laughed, Williams was the toughest sniper of all.

    Email Lindsay Schnell at [email protected] and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Eira Gwyneth
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads