The Liberty have spent much of their 2026 campaign on a roller-coaster ride. They would be reminding all and sundry of what they are capable of in one match, only to follow it up with a performance that invites questions about their consistency. In their playoff opener against the heavily favored Lynx, however, they appeared to offer little room for such uncertainty. And if there was anything that their emphatic 91-75 triumph demonstrated, it was that postseason basketball has a way of rendering regular-season distinctions considerably less meaningful. Behind a commanding performance from Breanna Stewart, they took home-court advantage and moved within a victory of becoming the first eighth seeds to eliminate the pacesetters under the WNBA’s current playoff format.
Stewart was the difference, and not merely because she finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks. Her sterling showing demonstrated how a versatile offensive player can dictate the terms of a game even when the opposition knows precisely where the danger lies. The Lynx deployed multiple defenders, including former collegiate teammate Napheesa Collier, in an effort to contain her. Instead, she repeatedly found ways to exploit mismatches, draw fouls, and create opportunities for those around her. The increased attention on her allowed the Liberty to shoot 52% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, she became only the fourth player in league history to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff contest.
The more consequential development, however, was the Liberty’s ability to turn a competitive first half into a decisive second-half advantage. They opened the third quarter with an 11-2 run and held the Lynx to just 31 points after halftime. The latter, who had relied on their defensive identity and ability to generate points off turnovers to end the regular season with the best record in the WNBA, struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. Rookie Olivia Miles, projected to be a first-team selection, endured a difficult postseason debut, finishing with 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting and only one assist. Significantly, her teammates also suffered from poor outings, with unnecessary fouls, particularly late in possessions, not helping at all.
That said, the Liberty would be wise to resist the temptation to regard the win as anything more than an important first step. The best-of-three format leaves little margin for error, and the Lynx have the personnel and coaching experience to make substantial adjustments. Indeed, they have already seen the pitfalls of premature confidence. Last year, they likewise claimed the first game of their first-round series against the Mercury before losing the next two and exiting the playoffs. Stewart herself invoked the experience in her post-mortem, emphasizing the need to remain deliberate about the adjustments ahead.
The Lynx, meanwhile, have the added motivation of protecting a season that began with championship expectations. Their recent inconsistency, including a 2-4 finish over their final six regular-season games, suggests that the defeat was not an entirely isolated setback. Still, it would be premature to conclude that their postseason prospects have already been determined by one loss.
What makes the series particularly compelling is that the apparent mismatch in seeding has never quite reflected the competitive relationship between the two teams. The Liberty won the regular-season series, 2-1, and have now defeated the Lynx by double digits three times in four meetings this year. Their history also includes the 2024 Finals, when they claimed their first championship in a closely contested five-game series. Collier and Company remain formidable competition, but the Seafoam have demonstrated that their combination of experience, perimeter shooting, and Stewart’s individual brilliance can overcome supposed handicaps.
Needless to say, Game Two in New York will test more than the Lynx’s ability to respond to an unexpected defeat. It will reveal whether the Liberty can sustain the discipline and execution that made the Game One result possible. Considering that they spent the season navigating the distance between their championship pedigree and their inconsistent results, the opportunity is significant. The challenge now is to turn a statement victory into a completed series, because in the playoffs, history is not made by putting opponents on the brink. It is made by finishing the job.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.