Liberty Top Lynx Behind Stewart's 34; Aces, Dream and Valkyries Also Win

Breanna Stewart's 34 points and 12 rebounds carried New York past top-seeded Minnesota as Las Vegas, Atlanta and Golden State also won WNBA first-round openers on Sunday.

Breanna Stewart scored 34 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as the New York Liberty beat the top-seeded Minnesota Lynx 91-75 in Minneapolis on Sunday in Game 1 of their best-of-three first-round series. She added six assists, two steals and two blocks, shooting 11 of 18 while spending much of the afternoon against Napheesa Collier, the 2024 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and her friend and former college teammate. The two-time MVP, fresh off a fifth straight World Cup title with the U.S. national team, owns the second-best postseason scoring average in league history and finished two points shy of New York's franchise playoff record.

Nia Brodie scored 16 points in 19 minutes off Minnesota's bench, and Kayla McBride added 14 after an 0-for-5 start from three-point range. Collier and All-Star center Natasha Howard both fouled out, and rookie Olivia Miles was held to 11 points on 3-of-12 shooting with one assist in her postseason debut.

In Las Vegas, A'ja Wilson followed her selection earlier in the day as Associated Press WNBA Player of the Year — an unprecedented third straight win of the award — with 38 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, and the third-seeded Aces downed the sixth-seeded Indiana Fever 102-85. Her scoring output matched her career playoff high. Jackie Young added 21 points and 10 assists, Chelsea Gray 14 points and eight assists, and Jewell Loyd 10, with Gray pushing her career playoff assist count to 397 to pass Courtney Vandersloot (390) for second place all-time.

Las Vegas is the defending champion and has won three of the past four titles. Aliyah Boston played through a lower-leg injury to post 18 points and eight rebounds for Indiana, Caitlin Clark had 15 points and 10 assists, and Kelsey Mitchell, owner of a record 27-game streak of 20-point games, was limited to 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. The Fever host Game 2 on Tuesday night needing a win to force a Game 3 in Las Vegas; a loss would end Indiana's season and put the Aces in the semifinals.

In College Park, Georgia, Rhyne Howard scored 26 points with five steals and Angel Reese had 13 points and 12 rebounds in her first career playoff game as the fourth-seeded Dream beat the No. 5 Washington Mystics 92-77. Atlanta set a franchise playoff record with 16 steals — two short of the WNBA mark of 18 set by Indiana in 2009 — and scored 27 points off 22 Washington turnovers. Allisha Gray added 22 points, Jordin Canada had 10 with 11 assists, Howard shot 7 of 18 but made all 10 free throws, and Reese hit just 4 of 15 from the field.

Sonia Citron scored 25 to lead Washington, Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and 14 rebounds — nine offensive — and Shakira Austin added 12 points and 16 boards. Iriafen scored four and Georgia Amoore connected from deep as the Mystics answered Howard's opening 3-pointer, 22 seconds into the game, with an 8-0 run. Canada's layup pulled Atlanta within 41-36 at halftime, and Gray's 3-pointer capped a 7-0 surge to start the third quarter that gave the Dream their first lead since the game's opening minute. DeWanna Bonner then scored 11 of her 13 points during an 18-5 stretch that made it 61-48 with 2:29 left in the third, and Washington got no closer than seven the rest of the way.

Cecilia Zandalasini scored 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting with four 3-pointers, Gabby Williams added 20, and the second-seeded Golden State Valkyries beat the seventh-seeded Dallas Wings 104-80 in San Francisco for the highest point total in franchise history. Tiffany Hayes scored 21 off the bench and Veronica Burton added 10 for the second-year club. A 37-11 second quarter decided it, and Golden State hit 10 of 20 threes in the first half to lead 58-31 at the break before finishing 18 of 36 from deep. Paige Bueckers led Dallas with 21 points and six rebounds. The Wings, winners of seven of eight to close the season, face elimination at home in Wednesday's Game 2, with a decisive third game, if necessary, set for Friday at Chase Center in front of the sellout crowd known as "Ballhalla." "Ballhalla's part of us," coach Natalie Nakase said of the fans.