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MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | Eighth-Seeded Liberty Eliminate Top-Seeded Lynx in Stunning First-Round Playoff Sweep
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (September 30, 2026). The Minnesota Lynx have been eliminated from the WNBA playoffs after the eighth-seeded New York Liberty completed a two-game first-round sweep with an 87-71 victory Tuesday night.
The result brought an abrupt end to a Minnesota season that produced a league-best 33-11 record, the No. 1 playoff seed and major individual honors for Head Coach Cheryl Reeve and rookie guard Olivia Miles.
New York entered the series as the final playoff seed but took control by defeating Minnesota 91-75 in Sunday’s opening game at Target Center. The best-of-three format left the Lynx facing elimination when the series moved to New York.
Jonquel Jones led the Liberty in Game 2 with 21 points and 13 rebounds. New York’s defense again prevented Minnesota from establishing the sustained offensive rhythm that carried the Lynx through the regular season.
The 87-71 loss completed one of the most striking first-round upsets in WNBA playoff history. A team that finished first in the regular-season standings was eliminated without winning a postseason game.
The defeat arrived one day after Reeve received her record fifth WNBA Coach of the Year award and Miles was unanimously selected as Rookie of the Year.
Miles started all 40 regular-season games and established a league rookie scoring record with 790 points. Her individual success and the Lynx’s regular-season record had strengthened expectations that Minnesota could make a deep championship run.
Instead, the Liberty won both games by double digits and advanced to the semifinals.
Minnesota now enters an offseason that will require the organization to reconcile two sharply different conclusions. The regular season demonstrated that the Lynx possessed one of the league’s deepest and most productive rosters, while the playoff sweep exposed how quickly those advantages could disappear in a short series.
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