Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty player stats and box score for Oct. 13 | Game 2, WNBA Finals

Game 2 of the Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Finals series saw the Liberty bounce back in big fashion, dominating the game from start to finish and holding on to a much-needed win before heading to Target Center for Games 3 and 4.

Breanna Stewart played a key role on both ends of the ball, scoring 21 points but also grabbing eight rebounds (three offensive and five defensive), dishing five assists and recording seven steaks. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 20 points while Sabrina Ionescu contributed 15.

For the Lynx, Napheesa Collier's heroics weren't enough to overcome the inspired Liberty. She finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists, but also committed seven turnovers. Courtney Williams scored 15 points, dished eight assists and grabbed six rebounds but turned the ball over five times. The series moves to Minnesota tied at one game per team.

Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty player stats and box score

Minnesota Lynx player stats and box score

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
Bridget Carleton	8	4	3	1	0	0
Alanna Smith	14	2	2	1	0	3
Napheesa Collier	16	8	3	4	0	7
Kayla McBride	8	1	1	0	0	0
Courtney Williams	15	6	8	1	0	5
Myisha Hines-Allen	0	2	0	1	0	0
Cecilia Zandalasini	0	2	1	0	0	1
Natisha Hiedeman	5	2	2	0	0	3

New York Liberty stats and box score

Player	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton	20	2	2	1	0	3
Breanna Stewart	21	8	5	7	1	5
Jonquel Jones	14	9	1	2	0	4
Leonie Fiebich	3	5	3	1	0	0
Sabrina Ionescu	15	4	5	2	0	2
Kayla Thornton	3	0	0	0	0	0
Nyara Sabally	1	4	0	0	1	1
Courtney Vandersloot	3	2	1	0	0	1

Minnesota Lynx vs New York Liberty Game Recap

The Minnesota Lynx vs. New York Liberty Game 2 was a key duel in the 2024 WNBA Finals. Minnesota could take a 2-0 advantage after surprising the Liberty in the series opener thanks to Napheesa Collier and Courtney Williams' heroics. The Liberty knew they needed to bounce back or the chance to win their first WNBA championship would get considerably slimmer.

The New York Liberty went up 5-0 in the first minute after Breanna Stewart stole the ball from Courtney Williams, leading to a Sabrina Ionescu 3-pointer. Ionescu led the way in the first quarter with 12 points while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton and Breanna Stewart scored seven points apiece to help New York lead after the first quarter 31-21.

On the other side, Alanna Smith led her team with six points, while Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams contributed five each.

The Lynx adjusted in the second half and tied the period 18-18 with the Liberty. They struggled against the New Yorkers' suffocating defense, being down 43-27 with a little over than three minutes on the clock. Napheesa Collier showed up in the final minute, scoring four points to set the 49-39 halftime score.

Just like it happened in Game 1, the Lynx adjusted at halftime and entered the court with a different attitude. Even after Napheesa Collier got in foul trouble, the Lynx stayed close to their opponents, stopping the Liberty in three consecutive possessions to cut the lead to four points with 1:24 left on the clock in the third quarter.

The Liberty hit the gas and entered the final quarter up by eight points. The fourth quarter started with the Lynx trying to get closer to the Liberty early on, but the home team was resilient. With five minutes on the clock, the Lynx were down only by two points, raising concerns among fans. Breanna Stewart and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton made a couple of big plays to drift away from the Lynx.

Sandy Brondello went with a zone defense, daring the Lynx to shoot while closing the paint. When the Lynx were close to taking over the game, the Liberty showed up and demonstrated that they were ready to take this duel. Their Big Three Breanna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones scored their last five points to secure the 80-66 win.