WNBA playoffs recap: Liberty complete historic sweep of Lynx, Clark powers Fever past Aces to force Game 3
Jones anchors New York's run to the semifinals
New York's 87-71 win in Game 2 closed out a best-of-three sweep of Minnesota, and the result carries weight well beyond a single series. The Liberty entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, while the Lynx came in as the league's No. 1 seed. That gap made the outcome all the more jarring for Minnesota, which now exits the playoffs in the first round despite entering as the No. 1 seed.
New York Liberty 87 - 71 Minnesota Lynx · WNBA 2026-2027 · 30/09/2026
Leaders
| New York Liberty | Minnesota Lynx | |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | Breanna Stewart 21 | Courtney Williams 18 |
| REB | Jonquel Jones 13 | Courtney Williams 8 |
| AST | Sabrina Ionescu 7 | Courtney Williams 5 |
Team stats
| New York Liberty | Minnesota Lynx | |
|---|---|---|
| FG | 46.4% | 38.2% |
| 3PTS | 10/32 | 8/20 |
| FT | 13/13 | 11/14 |
| REB | 36 | 29 |
| OREB | 12 | 11 |
Jonquel Jones was the engine of the closeout, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds to power New York through the final game. Her performance sealed a series that ends with the Liberty becoming the first No. 8 seed in WNBA playoff history to eliminate a No. 1 seed, according to Sunday Guardian Live. It's the kind of upset that reshapes a franchise's season narrative overnight, turning what looked like a modest playoff berth into a run defined by history.
For the Lynx, the sweep means an abrupt and stunning end to a campaign that had them positioned as the team to beat. For the Liberty, it means the opposite: momentum, validation, and a trip to the WNBA semifinals, per the Associated Press.
Clark's historic double-double forces a Game 3
In Indiana, the stakes were just as high, with the Fever facing a potential sweep of their own after dropping Game 1 102-85 to the Aces, the No. 3 seed and reigning WNBA champion. Instead, Caitlin Clark delivered one of the defining performances of her postseason career, finishing with 27 points and 15 assists before fouling out. That line made her the first player in WNBA history — regular season or playoffs — to record at least 25 points and 15 assists in a single game, according to CBS Sports and ESPN.
Indiana Fever 99 - 89 Las Vegas Aces · WNBA 2026-2027 · 29/09/2026
Leaders
| Indiana Fever | Las Vegas Aces | |
|---|---|---|
| PTS | Caitlin Clark 27 | Jackie Young 31 |
| REB | Caitlin Clark 7 | A’ja Wilson 9 |
| AST | Caitlin Clark 15 | Chelsea Gray 7 |
Team stats
| Indiana Fever | Las Vegas Aces | |
|---|---|---|
| FG | 52.1% | 42.4% |
| 3PTS | 8/21 | 9/28 |
| FT | 17/24 | 30/34 |
| REB | 34 | 30 |
| OREB | 11 | 7 |
The milestone didn't wait until the final buzzer. Clark had already rewritten the postseason record book by halftime, posting 14 points and 11 assists before the break to become the first player in WNBA postseason history with a points-and-assists double-double in a single half, per the Tennessean. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston both scored 22 or more points to support that effort, while Jackie Young paced Las Vegas with 31 points and A'ja Wilson added 22 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.
The atmosphere carried extra tension beyond the scoreboard. Wilson, according to the Guardian, had a heated exchange with a fan after officials called a foul on Sophie Cunningham, an incident that drew a technical foul in the middle of an already high-stakes elimination fight. It's the kind of moment that captures how much pressure the defending champions are under as their title defense hangs by a thread.
With the series now tied 1-1, the No. 6 seed Fever and the No. 3 seed Aces head to a decisive Game 3, win-or-go-home for both sides. Indiana rides the momentum of Clark's record-setting night, while Las Vegas remains the defending WNBA champion, per the New York Times and WNBA.com.
Comments (0)