Napheesa Collier, Lynx Excite Fans with WNBA Finals Game 4 Win vs. Ionescu, Liberty

The 2024 WNBA Finals will come down to a winner-takes-all Game 5 between the Minnesota Lynx and New York Liberty.

The Liberty had the Lynx on the brink of elimination until Bridget Carleton made two clutch free throws late on Friday night to win Game 4 and extend the series.

Lynx star Napheesa Collier and Liberty icon Sabrina Ionescu are now set to face off this Sunday in Brooklyn with a championship on the line.

Unlike Game 1 and Game 3 of the Finals, which were defined by double-digit leads and stunning comebacks, Game 4 was a closely-contested match that saw both teams trade leads back and forth throughout the night.

The Liberty held a two-point lead as late as the final six minutes of the fourth quarter, when Ionescu assisted on a Leonie Fiebich layup to pull New York ahead.

Kayla McBride then tied the game for the Lynx, and the two team traded points back and forth until Ionescu was assessed with a shooting foul with two seconds remaining on the clock.

Carleton sunk both of her ensuing free throw attempts to pull the Lynx back in front.

With the clock expiring and the title on the line, Ionescu went for a 35-foot three-pointer. She missed, thanks in part to defense by Carleton.

Carleton finished the game with 12 points after going 4-for-4 from the foul line, while Kayla McBride led the Lynx with 19 points in the win.

Collier meanwhile showed why she finished the regular season as the MVP runner-up to Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson as she paced the team with nine rebounds and four steals while adding 14 points.

Jonquel Jones scored a game-high 21 points in the Liberty's loss, while Fiebich added 19 points for New York.

This is the first time a WNBA Finals has gone to Game 5 since 2019, when the Washington Mystics defeated the Connecticut Sun. It also could be the last time the league's final series will be decided by a winner-takes-all Game 5, as commissioner Cathy Engelbert has announced the WNBA is expanding to a best-of-seven format next season.

The Liberty are seeking the franchise's first WNBA title, while the Lynx are looking to add their fifth championship and first since 2017. Which club emerges from the 2024 season as champions will come down to Sunday's 8:00 p.m. tipoff at Barclays Center.