NEW YORK (AP) — Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx, both ranked No. 2 in the regular season, were on the verge of becoming No. 1 when it mattered most.

The Lynx were just seconds away from a record fifth WNBA championship, and perhaps a WNBA Finals MVP award awaited Collier, whose team’s final-minute upset gave them the lead late in regulation time.

They couldn’t hold on.

The New York Liberty rallied for this a 67-62 overtime win, In doing so, he denied the Lynx their record fifth WNBA championship.

Collier, the runner-up unanimous MVP A’ja Wilson in the regular seasonscored 22 points before having to watch the final seconds from the bench after a foul in the game. Minnesota appeared to be on its way to victory just minutes earlier.

Like coach Cheryl Reeve, who said the game was “stolen” by the Lynx.She was frustrated with the administration and sometimes felt like she was being held down, but praised Liberty’s adjustments.

“They increased the pressure,” she said. “It’s the end of the game. Of course we both try to win. They increased the pressure and we lost a few possessions.”

The Lynx controlled the first half, but fell into a 56-52 hole on Sabrina Ionescu’s 3-pointer with 3:10 left. Then Collier, who had started strong, got going again. She had the next three baskets for Minnesota, her drive getting past Breanna Stewart to give the Lynx a 60-58 lead with 1:04 left.

“Obviously the exclamation point on the incredible season she had,” Reeve said. “You know, Napheesa did a great job for this team. Put us in a position to move past a championship in seconds. Phee was phenomenal.”

But Minnesota wouldn’t score again until New York scored the next seven points, tying the score on Stewart’s free throws with 5.2 seconds left to take a 65-60 lead in overtime.

Collier finished the game with seven rebounds, two blocks and one steal. The WNBA Defensive Player of the Year played all but 35 seconds of the 45-minute game, missing most of it because she committed the foul to stop the clock with 13 seconds left.

It was clearly a fantastic season for the forward, who averaged 20.4 points and 9.7 rebounds in her sixth year at UConn. you too won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team and helped the Lynx to a franchise record 30 wins and second place finish.

But if Game 5 had gone differently, she might have also won a WNBA Finals MVP trophy, joining elite Lynx players from the past who have done so.

Sylvia Fowles won it in 2015 and 2017 after her last two championships. Seimone Augustus, enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last weekwas the winner in 2011 and Maya Moore two years later.

The Lynx believe Collier could receive similar accolades.

“We just have so much faith in her, on and off the pitch, and I’m lucky to be by her side. I’m just impressed,” said Kayla McBride, who scored 21 points. “She obviously had a fantastic season and a fantastic postseason. I can’t wait to see what she does in the future.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball