Breanna Stewart delivered a historic performance with 34 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, two steals, and two blocks to lead the eighth-seeded New York Liberty to a 91-75 road victory over the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx in Game 1 of the WNBA playoffs. Stewart's dominance was described as a 'walking mismatch' by teammate Sabrina Ionescu, who added 13 points and four assists. The Liberty shot 52% from three-point range and held the Lynx to just 34% shooting after halftime.

Stewart 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, and the fourth to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a playoff contest. Leonie Fiebich contributed 16 points, including 4-for-5 from three. The Lynx, who are 0-3 in franchise history when losing Game 1 of a best-of-three series and 0-2 under Cheryl Reeve in such situations, struggled with foul trouble, particularly from Napheesa Collier, Natasha Howard, and Nia Brodie, who each picked up four fouls in the third quarter.

Stewart warned against overconfidence, referencing last year’s loss to Phoenix after winning Game 1. The Liberty can close the series with a win in New York on Tuesday.