The New York Liberty managed to hold off the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 of the WNBA finals on Sunday afternoon, successfully weathering another determined fourth-quarter comeback before securing an 80-66 victory that tied the best-of-five championship series at one game apiece.

Three days after surrendering an 18-point lead in a shocking Game 1 overtime loss on their home court, New York dominated from start to finish, led by Breanna Stewart, the two-time Most Valuable Player, who contributed 21 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and set a WNBA finals record with seven steals. The Liberty also received a significant boost from Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who rebounded from a quiet five-point performance on Thursday to score 20 points, her highest tally since July.

"I couldn’t wait to return here on Sunday and alter the narrative somewhat," Stewart remarked afterward. "I aimed to make it extremely challenging for each player I faced today."

In front of a franchise-record crowd of 18,046 fans at the Barclays Center, the Liberty surged ahead with a 31-21 lead after the first quarter and maintained a 17-point advantage in the first half, fueled by a scorching start from Sabrina Ionescu, who scored 14 of her 15 points before halftime. The Lynx made a comeback in the second half, narrowing the gap to 68-66 on a Courtney Williams driving lay-up with 3:40 left. However, Laney-Hamilton’s corner three-pointer off a clever no-look pass from Ionescu sparked a decisive 12-0 run, and New York never relinquished the lead, moving within two wins of their first WNBA championship as the series shifts back to Minnesota for Game 3 on Wednesday night.

"Our offense faltered when we needed it most. Our pace was sluggish," Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve commented. "We took too long to execute our plays, and from that perspective, I don’t think we were particularly challenging to play against. That was clearly a tough moment for us."

For Laney-Hamilton, the ninth-year forward who had been sidelined for over a month due to a right-knee injury sustained before the Olympic break, the standout performance could not have come at a more opportune moment.

"I believe what she brings is this grit, this toughness," Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. "We all know she’s giving us everything she’s got. The way she remained aggressive, they were defending her closely, yet she confidently sank that shot."

The Lynx nearly staged another remarkable comeback, powered by strong performances from Napheesa Collier (16 points), Williams (15), and Alanna Smith (14), but were ultimately hindered by 20 turnovers, which the Liberty converted into 26 points.

While Sunday’s game was not technically a do-or-die situation for New York, the hosts were facing a daunting prospect. No team in the previous 20 WNBA finals had managed to come back to win the series after falling into an 0-2 hole.