Liberty lose heartbreaker to Lynx as epic WNBA Finals head to winner-take-all Game 5

MINNEAPOLIS — The Liberty have waited more than a quarter century for their first title.

Now they will have to wait at least two more days.

Bridget Carleton, fouled on an offensive rebound, made two free throws with 2.0 seconds left and Sabrina Ionescu could not make magic happen two games in a row, giving the Lynx a pulsating 82-80 win in Game 4 to send the WNBA Finals back to Barclays Center for Game 5 on Sunday night.

Down 80-75, Ionescu made a layup and Jonquel Jones converted a three-point play to tie it at 80-80 with 1:10 left to play.

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After Minnesota’s Kayla McBride missed, Jones missed a floater and Breanna Stewart missed a follow as the shot clock expired.

The Liberty — a founding member of the WNBA in 1996 — entered the fourth quarter down 64-63 with Stewart holding four fouls and just eight points, and Ionescu with just six points after going scoreless in the third quarter.

After the Lynx took a five-point lead to open the quarter, Stewart answered with a reverse layup and drew a foul, making for a three-point play to make it 68-66 with eight minutes to go.

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Ionescu tied it back up, 70-70, with a layup over Courtney Williams and after Jones blocked the Lynx’s Cecilia Zandalasin’s shot under the rim, Ionescu found Fiebich under the basket for an easy layup to lead 72-70 with six minutes left.

Missed attempts followed by Ionescu and Stewart.

After a 3-pointer miss from Stewart, the Lynx found Alanna Smith unguarded for an easy basket and McBride followed with a 3-pointer to give the Lynx a 85-75 lead.

Ionescu ended with just 10 points and Stewart just 11.

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