In front of 19,521 fans (the fifth-largest WNBA Finals attendance) and the largest WNBA Finals crowd in 17 years, the shot heard around Minneapolis silenced them all Wednesday night.
Sabrina Ionescu drained a game-winning, 28-foot, 3-pointer with one second remaining to lift the New York Liberty to an 80-77 Game 3 road victory over the Minnesota Lynx, taking a 2-1 series lead in the best-of-five WNBA Finals matchup.
Ionescu scored 13 points, seven in the first 38 minutes of the game, and six in the final two minutes, highlighted by a shot that will go down in WNBA lore.
Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 30 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks for the Liberty, who notched their first WNBA Finals road win in 25 years (1999) and came back from 15 points down, the third-largest comeback ever in the league championship series.
Game 4 returns to the Target Center on Friday, Oct. 18 (8 p.m. EDT) in a must-win situation for the Lynx. If the Liberty win, they will clinch their first WNBA title. A loss brings them back to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Sunday, Oct. 20 for the winner-take-all Game 5 (time TBA).
Below, you can find our best picks for game 4 from US betting apps.
New York Liberty vs Minnesota Lynx Prediction
Time | 8 p.m. ET |
Money Line/Spread | New York (-150 / -2.5 (-115) |
Minnesota (+125 / +2.5 (-105) | |
Over/Under Total | 158.5 (over -115 / under -105) |
Pick: New York (money line, spread)
Minnesota has played excellently this series, and I believe they will continue to do so, but how will the ending of Game 3 carry over into tonight’s Game 4? That will be the deciding factor.
If they can overcome that heartbreak, they have a great chance to advance to Sunday’s deciding Game 5. However, I think New York can taste the championship, and under no circumstances do they want to return home without champagne and a trophy.
Best Player Props for Liberty vs. Lynx
Prior to tonight’s matchup, let’s take a look at some of the player props being offered by sportsbooks across the country. Here are our best picks from WNBA betting sites in America.
Liberty vs. Lynx Prop Bets: Kayla McBride (MIN) Over 13.5 Points (-120)
McBride played close to 40 minutes (38:30) on Wednesday and scored 19 points, highlighted by five 3-pointers on 7-for-16 shooting, making her the team’s second-leading scorer. She needs to continue her hot hand if the Lynx want to advance to Sunday.
Liberty vs. Lynx Prop Bets: Napheesa Collier Over 20.5 Points (-120)
The prop hit on Collier’s Game 3 performance, where she led the team with 22 points (9-of-22 from the field) and nine rebounds in 40 minutes of action. She needs to continue being the player she has been throughout the season and convert a few more of the shots she attempted on Wednesday. I have no doubt she will rise to the challenge again.
Liberty vs. Lynx Prop Bets: Breanna Stewart Over 21.5 Points (-115)
Stewart’s 30-point performance in Game 3 was epic. She went 9-of-20 from the field, hitting two 3-pointers, and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line. It’s understandable that she might pull back a little tonight, but she has totaled 69 points in this series, improving her points scored in each game. The way she’s playing, she might hit the number in the first half.
Liberty vs. Lynx Prop Bets: Sabrina Ionescu Over 17.5 Points (-110)
Ionescu was just 5-of-12 from the field, hitting 3-of-8 3-pointers, in her heroic Game 3 performance on Wednesday. Her 13 points were the lowest for her this series, having scored 19 and 15 points in her first two games. The game-winning shot she hit might be all she needed to spark an offensive flurry in a potential title-clinching game tonight.