Former Collegiate Player Pinpoints Game-Changing Key to Liberty's Playoff Statement vs. Minnesota
· Yahoo Sports
Normally, receiving the eighth seed in the first round of the playoffs is considered a disadvantage. After all, that means facing the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs. However, Former Texas A&M basketball player Ashanti Plummer believes the New York Liberty has flipped that script with a trump card.
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That key piece in the Liberty’s roster is FIBA Women’s World Cup MVP Breanna Stewart, who gave a generational playoff performance in Game 1. Plummer shared the same opinion when she joined ESPN insider Chiney Ogwumike’s show on YouTube to discuss Stewart’s performance.
“Stew York City mic drop. Honestly, I have watched this matchup during the regular season, and New York took two out of the three games,” Plummer said when Ogwumike asked her about her biggest takeaway.
“So, I already knew that it was going to be a competitive game. And I knew with Olivia Miles coming back that it was going to be serious business. But I was really happy to see that Stewie from the jump really just took over the game. So my biggest takeaway is Miss Breanna Stewart.”
Following two disappointing losses against the Atlanta Dream to close out the regular season, the New York Liberty floor general was at her best in the 91-75 victory. Away from home against the Lynx, she recorded 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists to completely overpower Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve’s defensive measures.
However, Stewart also marked her territory on the defensive end of the floor with two blocks and two steals. She is the pillar of the Liberty defense, a group that limited the Lynx to just 22 points in the paint at 37.9% shooting. Even Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco stated he felt confident whenever Stewart was on the hardwood.
“I think I was just really ready, I mean, if you don’t get up for these big moments, then you got to rethink why you’re playing basketball and that type of thing. But for myself, mentally, just ready to do whatever it took to kind of 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.” Stewart said of her Game 1 performance.
Even Ogwumike pitched in to praise Stewart, who she believes has her confidence and motivation levels sky-high after leading Team USA to its fifth straight gold medal victory at the World Cup.
“Coming off of FIBA, where the US was tested once again at the international level, people were saying, ‘Can they do this versus France?’ France, you know, overtook the US in the power rankings. And Stewie said, ‘I got this. I can lead. I can hold it down.'”
“Similarly, we’re seeing them go on the road versus the Minnesota Lynx, who has had the number one position in the standings all season long. She went out there, and if you saw her face, it was like Terminator mode,” The ESPN insider said.
Interestingly, the Liberty have had the Lynx’s number throughout this season despite Minnesota even when they were leading the league, and this marked head coach DeMarco’s third victory over Reeve in 2026.
The highly anticipated return of Lynx rookie sensation Olivia Miles from a calf injury was underwhelming, as she managed to score only 11 points and eight rebounds, not her usual numbers. Meanwhile, Napheesa Collier was also limited to 12 points, missing all three shots from outside the arc.
The top-ranked team for the majority of the season is now in a win-or-go-home situation in Game 2 of the first round itself, thanks to Stewart’s overall proficiency. Last year it was New York that ended Minnesota’s title hopes by winning the series 3-2, and this year they look to finish things off at the Barclays Center 2-0 on Tuesday.
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