Minnesota Lynx set the tone for the WNBA finals. They took Game 1 over New York Liberty with a nailbiting 95-93 finish. With three of its powerhouses – Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, and Courtney Williams – having 20+ points, the Lynx had multiple comebacks each time Liberty got a lead. By doing that, the franchise made WNBA history before the New York crowd. A spectacular start to their championship run!

Every time the Lynx lagged in double digits, they rallied a strong comeback and led the game to overtime. Nobody saw that coming for the first 39 minutes, 55 seconds of Game 1 when Minnesota trailed behind Liberty. This win not only gives them a 1-0 lead over New York, but closing that 18 point gap is the largest comeback victory in WNBA Finals history.

They weren’t done with records though. According to ESPN’s Alexa Philippou, “They are the first team in WNBA postseason history to win a game after trailing by 15+ points in the final five minutes of regulation.” Fun fact: this is the team with 0-183 odds entering the finals.

Major credit goes to the team’s superstar trio who also rewrote finals history. Williams scored 23 points and McBride and Collier ended with 22 and 21 points respectively. They’re the first trio in franchise history to have 20+ points in a finals game.

Head-to-head, Lynx had an edge. The last time they were Barclays was on September 15. Then too, Liberty lost 88-79 to them. Game 1 seemingly started with redemption. Then the MVP runner-up pulled the brakes on that.

Minnesota Lynx – the Comeback Kids

After Napheesa Collier won a well-deserved DPOY this year, a lot had been said about her offensive weaknesses. Those critics are probably eating their words as Collier came in clutch.

Lynx took a three-point lead with 18 seconds in regulation time. The New York home crowd apparently got very silent during those seconds. Collier guarded Breanna Stewart towards the end of regulation time. She blocked Stewart’s would’ve-been game-winning shot and fouled her in the second attempt. Despite a tense exchange, Stewart was able to tie the game with her free throw and lead it to overtime.

With 8.4 seconds left in overtime, Collier made a fadeaway jumpshot. It was contested, but it counted and sealed Minnesota’s narrow victory.

Lynx weren’t exactly the underdogs going into this series. But they’re certainly causing a few upsets and thrills. If it continues will be seen at Game 2 on Sunday.