Breanna Stewart Doesn't Hold Back on Napheesa Collier Amid Liberty-Lynx Finals

The New York Liberty will look to tie things up in the best-of-five WNBA Finals when they battle the Minnesota Lynx in Game 2 on Sunday.

The Liberty blew an 18-point lead in Game 1 and suffered a bitter 95-93 defeat in overtime, with Napheesa Collier sinking the game-winning basket for the Lynx.

It was the perfect coda to Collier's virtuosic performance, tallying 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and six blocks. She outplayed her marquee counterpart, Liberty's Breanna Stewart, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-21 shooting from the field.

Stewart didn't offer excuses after their loss in Game 1, saying they just have to "take it on the chin." She added that they'll be ready to bounce back.

In an interview with WNBA.com , the 30-year-old star talked about her face-off with Collier, her co-founder of Unrivaled, a professional women's 3x3 basketball league.

"We have a tremendous amount of respect for each other," said Stewart. "We’ve done a lot together—both on and off the court—but when we step out there in the finals, we’re putting that all aside.

"We’re friends, business partners, former teammates. But now we’re enemies. And when that ball tips, it’s all about winning."

Stewart and Collier were teammates at the University of Connecticut, winning an NCAA title in 2016. They have also played together on Team USA.

The Liberty are searching for their first-ever crown in 27 years, while the Lynx are hoping to capture their sixth title.

"It’s been 50 years since a men’s or women’s team brought a championship back here (in New York), so to end that drought would mean everything," added Stewart, who hails from Syracuse. "We’re ready to make history."

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