- Storm Oscar hits eastern Cuba as island grapples with blackout
- New Zealand basks in 'golden 48 hours' after sporting triumphs
- UN biodiversity summit opens with call for 'significant' funding
- Dodgers beat Mets to set World Series showdown with Yankees
- Liberty rally to top Lynx in overtime for WNBA title
- US, Canada warships pass through Taiwan Strait
- Asian markets fluctuate as traders digest China rate cut
- Naomi Osaka season over because of injury
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- Simmering Bellingham set for Dortmund reunion in Champions League
- World Cup winner Kerr thanks 'grandmas' for T20 inspiration
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- Pakistan passes constitutional amendments aimed at courts
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- Celtics seek repeat, Lebron and son unite as NBA season opens
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- Unbeaten Chiefs march past 49ers, Lions hand Vikings first loss
- Moldova president blames interference for potential EU referendum loss
- King Charles to spotlight conflict, climate in Australian capital
- UN chief seeks 'significant' funding at summit to save nature
- Hurricane Oscar makes landfall in Cuba amid huge power outage
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- Lewandowski powers five-star Barca to Sevilla rout
- Lions hand Vikings first loss, Packers down Texans
- In escalation, Israel bombs Hezbollah-linked finance group
- Martinez keeps Inter on Napoli's tail with Roma winner
- Marseille return to form with Montpellier thrashing
- Lula cancels trip to summit in Russia after injuring head
- Cuba girds for Hurricane Oscar with electricity supply still down
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- Browns quarterback Watson exits with Achilles tendon injury
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- 'Once in a lifetime' Kerr leads New Zealand to Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Pope names 14 new saints, including martyrs of Damascus
- Malinin captures third straight Skate America crown
- Sri Lanka triumph in rain-affected first ODI against West Indies
- Moldovans flock to vote in key tests on EU future
- Liverpool pass Chelsea test to reclaim Premier League top spot
- Kerr leads New Zealand to maiden Women's T20 World Cup triumph
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Liberty rally to top Lynx in overtime for WNBA title
The New York Liberty erased an early 12 point deficit and beat the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in another overtime thriller on Sunday to claim the first WNBA title in franchise history on Sunday.
The Liberty won the best-of-five Finals 3-2 for a long-awaited breakthrough crown. They had lost five prior Finals and were the only remaining original franchise without a title.
Breanna Stewart made a pair of free throws to force overtime, and made another pair to seal the win in a frantic extra session that opened with Leonie Fiebich's three-pointer that put New York ahead for good.
German substitute Nyara Sabally came up with a steal and raced for a basket that put the Liberty up 65-60 with 3:14 remaining and the Lynx couldn't find a way back.
As superstar Sabrina Ionescu struggled mightily, connecting on just one of 19 shot attempts, Jonquel Jones led New York's scoring with 17 points. Fiebich, Stewart and Sabally scored 13 apiece, Stewart adding 15 rebounds and three blocked shots.
Jones, who averaged 18 points and eight rebounds was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
Napheesa Collier led the Lynx with 22 points and Kayla McBride added 21, but Minnesota were denied a record fifth WNBA title.
The Lynx jumped to a 19-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. With 3:02 left in the first half Collier ducked under Stewart and drained a layup that pushed Minnesota's lead to 12.
However, the Liberty finally began to build some momentum. Stewart drove for a layup that had the deficit back in single digits and after Minnesota's Australian center Alanna Smith coughed up a turnover Jones made a pair of free throws to pull the Liberty within 34-27 at halftime.
Stewart opened the third quarter with a quick basket and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton cut the deficit to three with a step-back shot.
Sabally's back-to-back baskets, both with assists from Ionescu, gave New York their first lead of the game, 40-38 and the Liberty led 47-44 going into the fourth.
Minnesota regained a one-point lead with 5:29 to play on Natisha Hiedeman's running layup, but after Stewart came up with a big block Fiebich put the Liberty up 51-50.
Ionescu drained a rainbow three-pointer -- her only basket of the night -- to give New York a 56-52 lead with 3:10 remaining and fed Stewart for a layup that made it 58-54.
But the Lynx rallied, Collier making back-to-back baskets for a 60-58 lead.
Stewart missed two free throws with a chance to tie it, but with 5.2 seconds left she went to the line again and made both to force overtime.
It was another scintillating contest in the first WNBA Finals since 2019 to go to a fifth game.
The Lynx rallied to win game one in overtime. The Liberty tied it up in game two and took the series lead with a three-point victory in game three, the Lynx forcing Sunday's decider with a nail-biting two-point triumph in game four.
J.Oliveira--AMWN