Stewart scores 34 as Liberty beat top-seeded Lynx 91-75 in Game 1

Breanna Stewart scored 34 points and collected 12 rebounds as the New York Liberty defeated the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75 in Game 1 of their best-of-three WNBA first-round series on Sunday. The win gives New York a 1-0 lead in the series.

Stewart, a two-time league MVP, added six assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 11-for-18 from the floor. She recently helped the US national team win a fifth consecutive World Cup and holds the second-highest postseason scoring average in WNBA history; she finished two points shy of the Liberty franchise record for points in a playoff game.

Her friend and former college teammate Napheesa Collier guarded Stewart for much of the afternoon; Collier is the 2024 WNBA defensive player of the year. Both Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard fouled out of the game.

For Minnesota, Nia Brodie led the bench with 16 points in 19 minutes and Kayla McBride finished with 14 points after missing her first five 3-point attempts. Rookie Olivia Miles had 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and recorded one assist in what the report described as a quiet postseason debut.

The Liberty finished the regular season 26-18 and are two years removed from their first WNBA championship, which they won against Minnesota in a dramatic five-game final. New York were eliminated in the first round last season by the Phoenix Mercury, who then defeated the top-seeded Lynx before losing to the Las Vegas Aces for the title.

New York will host Game 2 on Tuesday with the opportunity to eliminate Minnesota; the Lynx must win to bring Game 3 back to Target Center on Thursday.