28 years, 5 finals, and the New York Liberty finally has it. In an implication that would reverberate for years to come, the original franchise held its ground to watch the Barclays light up in cheers, Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones hug in relief, and Sabrina Ionescu fall to the ground in tears. An impactful hand behind it all? Sandy Brondello, who seemed to have figured out a way to work it best in the final game.

It was a gamble—a never-before-seen lineup. As the game began, Brondello appeared confident with Sabrina Ionescu, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones, and Leonie Fiebich entering the court. “Sandy Brondello has turned to a lineup she has NOT ever played before… Emergency glass has been broken, but it appears to be working,” read a tweet on X.

While all the players are exceptional, they had played “ZERO” minutes together in a game before. But it worked out well and more for the Liberty. The team brought home their first WNBA championship title after defeating Cheryl Reeve’s Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime.

However, it wasn’t just the lineup that worked on the court. “We want her to be aggressive. She’s earned that right because she’s one of the best players in the game,” Brondello shared about Stewie before Game 5 and it seemed to have worked well, with each on the team taking home $20,825 of the prize money.

New York’s forward had two turnovers and a personal foul by the time the game ended. In addition, she contributed 13 points and 15 rebounds, including the clutch free throws that would push for overtime. But it wasn’t Stewie living up to the hype.

A Well-Thought Combination à la Sandy Brondello

The team’s leading scorer turned out to be center Jonquel Jones, who scored 17 points in 42 minutes of gameplay. As dominant as ever, she also earned the title of Finals MVP this season. Next up was Leonie Fiebich with 13 points. And joining her and Stewart on the score was another star for tonight, Nyara Sabally.

While Fiebich left the court after 17 minutes, Sabally, a non-starter, made her mark in 40 minutes, while Stewie took the maximum 45 minutes on the court to achieve her 13 points. Despite averaging 18.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, Sabrina Ionescu looked a bit off. The Liberty #20 could only manage 5 points across 40 minutes, going just 1-of-19 from the field and 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.

Nonetheless, the players filled in for each other, with 4 recording scores in double-digits against Lynx’s 2, to deliver the ultimate moment in the franchise’s history.

“this is fun, don’t put too much pressure on yourself… no one needs to do more than what they’ve already done,” was Brondello’s pre-game mantra. Though a few moments of thrill and lost hope, the Liberty ensured to bounce back. Now for the coach’s calmed nerves, she not only earns the honor of the title but also a staggering $249,900. As for the Minnesota Lynx, they pocket a cash prize of $92,952, $7,746 for each player on the roster.