The Minnesota Lynx, in an effort that was reminiscent of the NC State Wolf Pack’s unfathomable 1983 national championship run, gritted their way to one of the most memorable victories in WNBA history. Courtney Williams, Napheesa Collier and the rest of the squad survived blow after blow from the New York Liberty, including multiple ones that should have been fatal, and somehow stole a 95-93 victory in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals.

There is no logical explanation for Thursday’s monumental comeback in the Barclays Center, except for the presence of one vitally important intangible.

“We’re resilient,” Williams said, via Mitchell Hansen of Hitting the Hardwood, after the Lynx erased an 18-point deficit in the second half. “We know they’re a tough team. … We never gave up.”

Courtney Williams, Lynx fight back again and again

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The 2021 All-Star guard scored a team-high 23 points, four of which came on a wild play that could ultimately prove to be the difference-maker in this series. She missed a game-tying 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter but fired another one seconds later following an Alanna Smith offensive rebound. She drained the supremely clutch bucket while incurring a foul.

A made free throw put the Lynx up temporarily, before Breanna Stewart drew a foul herself as time expired in regulation. The two-time Finals MVP seemed destined to stifle the persistent Lynx for good, but she missed her second shot from the charity stripe. Williams added five critical points in overtime, MVP runner-up Collier sunk a turnaround jumper for the eventual game-winner and Stewart missed a layup at the end.

In a month that celebrates the supernatural and unexplainable, Minnesota earned an absolutely bonkers road victory. Despite some sloppy passes in OT (one came courtesy of Williams), Cheryl Reeve’s group overcame what should have been insurmountable circumstances. Yes, the Liberty set up and then proceeded to walk over a number of landmines in the final frame, a befuddling shot clock violation with 18 seconds left being among them, but not many teams would have been able to capitalize the way the Lynx did on this night.

Execution tends to be irrelevant if tenacity is lacking. Courtney Williams, who signed with the franchise in the offseason, exemplifies the confidence and energy needed to conquer immense adversity. Assuming she and her teammates can maintain this relentless playing style for the rest of the 2024 WNBA Finals, fans could be treated to one of the most epic showdowns the sport has ever known.