Oct 18, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) shoots over New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during the first half of game four of the 2024 WNBA Finals at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images MINNEAPOLIS — Bridget Carleton sank a pair of free throws with 2.0 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Lynx held on for an 82-80 win over the New York Liberty in Game 4 of the WNBA Finals on Friday night.
Kayla McBride scored 19 points to lead the Lynx, who staved off elimination and evened the best-of-five series at two wins apiece. Napheesa Collier flirted with a double-double, collecting 14 points and nine rebounds.
The series will shift to New York for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Sunday night.
Jonquel Jones scored 21 points and pulled down eight rebounds for New York, which remains one win away from its first-ever championship. Leonie Fiebich scored 19 points, and Breanna Stewart finished with 11 points and 11 boards.
The score was even at 80 after Jones converted a three-point play with 1:10 remaining.
Lynx guard Courtney Williams missed a jump shot in the final seconds, but Carleton grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul. She then put the Lynx on top by two from the free-throw line.
Sabrina Ionescu had a chance at a game-winning shot moments later, but she missed from 35 feet out to send the series to a decisive fifth game.
Minnesota held on to a 64-63 lead at the end of the third quarter.
New York went on an 11-0 run to transform a 55-50 deficit into a 61-55 edge with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. Stewart finished the run with a long jump shot from just inside the 3-point line.
Alanna Smith scored five of the next six points as the Lynx battled back to even the score at 61-all with 2:34 to go. Carleton finished the quarter with a pair of free throws to give the Lynx a one-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Minnesota led 46-45 at the end of the first half.
Williams and McBride had back-to-back three-point plays to account for a 6-0 run for Minnesota late in the first half. McBride brought the crowd to its feet when she drove to the rim for a layup and added a free throw with 56.6 seconds left.
Fiebich made a hard-nosed layup on the other end of the court to cut New York’s deficit to one point before the break.
–Tom Musick, Field Level Media
