MINNEAPOLIS -- When Breanna Stewart can't be stopped, playoff seedings don't matter.
The future Hall of Famer finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals and two blocks as she led the eighth-seeded New York Liberty to a 91-75 road victory over the Minnesota Lynx, the top seed in the WNBA playoffs and the favorite to win the title.
"[Stewart's] ability to post up: she's a walking mismatch, so we're able to just look for her," said Sabrina Ionescu, who finished with 13 points and four assists in the first game of the best-of-three series. "And obviously, whatever they take away, we have a counter. So, whether it's inside, just trying to stay spaced, find the 3-point line. I also think we just took really good shots."
The Liberty, who defeated the Lynx by double figures in Minneapolis nine days before Sunday's game, can win the series Tuesday in New York. The Lynx are 0-3 in franchise history and 0-2 under Cheryl Reeve when they lose the first game in a best-of-three playoff series.
Stewart, who has averaged nearly 21 points against the Lynx during her career, led the Liberty to their third double-digit win over the Lynx in the four games they've played this year.
The Liberty connected on 52% of their 3-point attempts. Leonie Fiebich, who had scored 10 points combined in her final four games of the regular season, finished with 16 points (4-for-5 from beyond the arc). The Lynx sent extra defenders at Stewart and that created space for her perimeter teammates. The Liberty were also effective defensively as the Lynx made just 34% of their shots after halftime.
On the same day A'ja Wilson won her fourth Associated Press Player of the Year award, surpassing Stewart as a three-time winner, the Liberty star offered a reminder of her standing among the WNBA greats. She became the second player in WNBA history to lead or co-lead her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a playoff game, per ESPN Research.
She's also the fourth player in league history to finish with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a playoff game.
"I think I was just really ready. I mean, if you don't get up for these big moments, then you've got to rethink why you're playing basketball," Stewart said. "But for myself, mentally, I was just ready to do whatever it took to lead the team and get the win today. And my teammates found me and got me good looks at the basket, so I just wanted to keep going."
Napheesa Collier (12 points, 6-for-14 from the floor), Natasha Howard (eight points) and Nia Brodie (16 points, 4-for-5 from the 3-point line) all had four fouls in the third quarter as they collectively tried to corral Stewart. The Lynx made four of their last five 3-point attempts to end the first half but lost the momentum as they accumulated more fouls after the break.
"We did a solid job in the first half and then we just fouled, fouled, fouled. You can't give [Stewart] 12 free throws," Reeve said. "So fouling at the end of the shot clock, one second left, it's just not smart. She does a good job where she puts her body and obviously gets those calls."
But Stewart cautioned against getting too confident based on recent history. Last year, the Liberty, a 5-seed, defeated the Phoenix Mercury in the first game of their best-of-three series before they were eliminated after losing the next two games.
"We did this in Phoenix and then we got smoked on our home court," Stewart said. "So being really intentional for the adjustments we're going to make. Obviously, we had a ton of turnovers [19] and want to be better in that area, but we're going to just have to have the same steadiness that we had for today; we're going to do that on Tuesday."
Sunday's effort was an extension of the inconsistency Minnesota has endured over the past month. The Lynx started the season with Olivia Miles as their catalyst, but the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award finished with 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting and one assist Sunday as the team struggled to find a rhythm. Since Collier's return from multiple ankle surgeries, the Lynx have worked to solidify a new identity.
The Lynx, who went 2-4 in the final six regular-season games, were 11th in offensive efficiency and eighth in defensive efficiency during that stretch, while also committing turnovers on nearly one of five possessions.
After the game, Reeve said she didn't want to say a lot and risk leaking Tuesday's game plan for a team that has been hailed as the favorite to win the franchise's fifth championship for months.
That plan, however, will have to include a new approach to defending one of the greatest players in WNBA history if the Lynx want to avoid an early playoff exit.
"I think that obviously when you're the lower seed, right, you want to steal one," Stewart said. "You want to steal one at their place and doing that today is obviously really important for this series. But we've kind of harped on it: This doesn't mean relax. This team is obviously really exceptionally talented, and they're going to throw everything they've got at us on Tuesday, and we're going to be ready for it."