Stewart's 34 points send Liberty past Lynx in playoff opener

New York moved to the brink of a first-round series win over Minnesota after a 91-75 victory on Sunday, opening their best-of-three WNBA playoff meeting in commanding fashion.

Breanna Stewart was the difference for the Liberty, finishing with 34 points and 12 rebounds while adding six assists, two steals and two blocks in an all-round display.

The two-time league MVP made 11 of her 18 attempts from the field, doing much of her scoring with Napheesa Collier assigned to her for most of the afternoon.

Collier, last year's WNBA defensive player of the year, is a former college teammate and close friend of Stewart's, which made the individual battle between the two one of the game's central storylines.

Despite that quality of defensive attention, Stewart was rarely troubled, and her efficiency helped New York take control against a Minnesota side that finished the regular season as the competition's top seed.

The defeat leaves the Lynx facing a must-win Game 2 in New York on Tuesday, with an early exit from the postseason now a genuine possibility if they cannot respond.

Given the format of the series, another Liberty win would end Minnesota's campaign at the first hurdle despite their status as the highest-ranked team heading into the playoffs.

New York will look to Stewart again as they attempt to close out the series, with attention turning to whether Minnesota can find an answer to her scoring and rebounding across the two remaining games of the set.

According to Guardian US Sport, the outcome of Tuesday's game in New York will determine whether the series returns to Minnesota or ends in the Liberty's favour after just two matches.