Napheesa Collier, Lynx Beat Liberty Without Breanna Stewart in WNBA Finals Rematch

Napheesa Collier and the Minnesota Lynx defeated the New York Liberty by the final score of 100-93 in a 2024 WNBA Finals rematch at Target Center on Wednesday night.

It’s worth noting that the Liberty were shorthanded during the contest, as star forward Breanna Stewart missed her second straight game due to a right knee injury.

As for Collier, she continued her strong 2025 campaign by finishing Wednesday’s matchup with 30 points, nine rebounds and three blocks while shooting 11-of-16 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point territory.

After the Liberty pulled to within four points with just over one minute left in regulation, Collier finished through contact at the rim and completed a three-point play to give the Lynx some breathing room.

Both teams were tied 24-24 through the first quarter of the game, but Minnesota gained some separation heading into halftime by closing the second quarter on a 7-0 run to take a nine-point lead at the break.

New York cut the deficit to six points through three quarters and went on a late run in the fourth, but never ended up taking the lead again.

Kayla McBride stepped up for Minnesota alongside Collier, scoring 24 points and dishing out five assists while shooting 57.1 percent from the field. Courtney Williams also set up her teammates throughout the game, finishing with a season-high 13 assists.

For the Liberty, Sabrina Ionescu scored a game-high 31 points on 11-of-20 shooting. Ionescu also grabbed five rebounds and recorded four assists.

The rest of New York’s rotation struggled to make a consistent impact, particularly on defense.

The Lynx ended Wednesday’s clash by connecting on 48.4 percent of their shots from three-point territory and amassed 28 assists compared to 11 turnovers.

Minnesota improved to 23-5 with the victory and earned some revenge after its defeat in the 2024 Finals, now holding a five-game lead over New York for the No. 1 spot in the WNBA standings.