New York Liberty star Breanna Stewart has spoken on her “tremendous amount of respect” for the Minnesota Lynx’s Napheesa Collier as the pair go head-to-head in the WNBA Finals.
Spectators at Barclay’s Center were treated to a thriller as the two teams locked horns in Game 1 on Thursday with the visitors pulling off a stunning 18-point comeback to win. The Lynx players refused to be beaten as they rallied to see out a 95-93 overtime victory with Collier putting in a masterclass on the night.
On hand with the game-winning shot with just over 8 seconds left on the clock, the Minnesota power forward registered 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and six blocks in a memorable showing. Now, Liberty rival Stewart has admitted her admiration for her peer following her performance.
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The pair struck up a close friendship during their collegiate days at UConn as they became NCAA title winners, with the pair even having gone into business together in the form of the 3-on-3 women’s league, Unrivalled. Opening up on their relationship, Stewart told WNBA.com: “We have a tremendous amount of respect for each other.
“We’ve done a lot together—both on and off the court—but when we step out there in the finals, we’re putting that all aside,” she continued, as she spoke about the dynamic with her pal. “We’re friends, business partners, former teammates. But now we’re enemies. And when that ball tips, it’s all about winning.”
Focusing on the job at hand as she chases the championship, the 30-year-old added: “It’s been 50 years since a men’s or women’s team brought a championship back here (in New York), so to end that drought would mean everything. We’re ready to make history.”
Breanna Stewart is hoping her New York Liberty team can rally following a sobering loss against Minnesota Lynx during Game 1 of the WNBA Finals (
Elsa/Getty Images)
Speaking about the loss in Game 1 in front of a home crowd, Stewart said: “We just take it on the chin, you know. We were up a lot and then we had a wild kind of sequence to end the fourth. Didn’t start overtime great. I had a great look at the end and I didn’t make it.
“But I think that this is a series. We wanted to really win, obviously, for home court. But the beauty is, we have another game on Sunday and we’ll be ready.”
Meanwhile, Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve reflected: “We’re the first team in WNBA playoff history to be down 15 and come back and win the game. So that ranks really high. I think it defines our team. Getting through difficult times. That’s what we’ve been talking about. You have to be mentally tough, resilient. … Thrilled that we could hang in there.”
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