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• Stewart proud of resilience after Liberty bounce back to level WNBA Finals

  Breanna Stewart believes she showed resilience in bouncing back from New York Liberty's defeat in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, praising her team-mates for their support.

  The Liberty avenged their shock defeat to the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday, this time holding off their comeback to win 80-66 in Game 2 on Sunday.

  Stewart scored 21 points, adding eight rebounds and five assists, also setting a WNBA Finals single-game record with seven steals.

  The two-time league MVP was disappointed with the performance in the opener but was much more upbeat after helping to level the series at 1-1.

  "The moment the game ended Thursday, I was looking forward to Sunday," Stewart said.

  "I can't strive to be the best, to be great, but then be afraid to fail. This is what happens when you put yourself in high-stress, important situations.

  "You face possible failure. Yeah, I was upset because we could have won [Thursday's] game. But I'm happy I took the shots. Throughout this entire process, my team has my back every step of the way."

  Having played the first two games at home, the Liberty now have two games at the Target Arena to look forward to.

  "We embrace it; we like it when it's loud, when it's difficult," Stewart added of their trip to Minnesota. "Hopefully it's going to be an incredible atmosphere for both of those games.

  "[It's about] not getting too high or too low; things are going to seem bigger than they are because they are playing at home. I'm sure Minny said the same thing when they're playing here."

  Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, who struggled with knee injuries in the regular season, was also on top form, going 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finishing with 20 points for New York.

  Having knocked down the 3-pointer to give the Liberty the lead ahead of their final surge, Laney-Hamilton is hopeful she will be able to build on this performance going forward.

  "I think it gives me a little bit of momentum as we continue to go through the series," she said.

  "It felt really good because I know I've been struggling, physically, mentally as I've been going through everything."

  Game 3 takes place on Wednesday in Minnesota.

• New York Liberty tie WNBA Finals with Game 2 win

  Breeanna Stewart scored 21 points and the New York Liberty pulled away late for Sunday's crucial 80-66 Game 2 win over the Minnesota Lynx that evened the WNBA Finals at 1-1.

  The top-seeded Liberty closed the game on a 12-0 run to avenge Thursday's stunning home loss to the Lynx, in which second-seeded Minnesota overcame a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to rally for a 95-93 overtime win to open the championship series.

  Minnesota put forth another late comeback try in Game 2, as it cut a 10-point third-quarter deficit down to two when Napheesa Collier's turnaround jumper with 6:46 remaining brought the Lynx within 64-62.

  It remained a two-point game until New York's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:21 left to give the Liberty a 71-66 lead and start the game-sealing final surge.

  Laney-Hamilton went 4 of 6 from 3-point range and finished with 20 points for New York, which made good on 11 of 24 shots from beyond the arc (45.8 per cent) compared to 6 of 20 (30 per cent) for Minnesota.

  Stewart added eight rebounds and five assists while setting a WNBA Finals single-game record with seven steals. Fellow All-Star Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 15 points and five assists to help the Liberty avoid a dreaded 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five series. 

  Collier led the Lynx with 16 points and eight rebounds, while team-mate Courtney Williams recorded 15 points and eight assists and Alanna Smith had 14 points for Minnesota.

  The Lynx will host the next two games of the series, with Game 3 to take place Wednesday in Minneapolis.

  Ionescu scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Liberty took a 31-21 lead into the second, and New York shot 51.4 per cent in the first half to enter the break with a 49-39 advantage.

  Minnesota trailed 64-55 early in the fourth quarter before closing the gap with a 7-0 run capped by Collier's jumper, which followed a 3-pointer from Kayla McBride.

• “I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet”- Olympic champion Julien Alfred hungry for more success

  Julien Alfred’s 2024 season was one for the books and the St. Lucian superstar is eyeing even more success going forward.

  The 23-year-old began her first full season as a professional athlete with a six-race win streak in the indoor 60m, culminating with her first major global title at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland on March 2.

  The 2023 Bowerman Award winner then embarked on a spectacular outdoor season which saw her become her country’s first ever Olympic medallist by winning 100m gold in Paris in a national record 10.72 in August before closing out her season by winning the 100m title at the Diamond League final in Brussels in 10.88 in September.

  Alfred also won 200m silver at the Olympics in 22.08.

  As a result of her exploits on the track, Alfred has been subject of an appropriate week of celebration by her home country St. Lucia since her return on September 24.

  Alfred was greeted by a parade of fans upon her arrival to the island, September 27 was formally recognized by the St. Lucian Government as ‘Julien Alfred Day’ going forward, a mural celebrating her was painted at her alma mater Ciceron Primary School and she was named as a Tourism Ambassador for St. Lucia.

  With all that being said, Alfred still feels like there is more work to do to solidify her legacy in the sport.

  “I don’t feel like I’ve made it yet,” Alfred said on the latest episode of Out d Blocks on the SportsMax TV YouTube Channel.

  “That alone keeps me pushing and going for more,” she added.

  Most people with her accolades, even after just one year, would get comfortable and feel like they’ve already solidified themselves as a staple in their respective field but not Alfred.

  “There are accolades that I still want in my life and my career. Yes, I accomplished an Olympic gold, World Indoors, Diamond League final winner but I don’t have accolades in the World Championships outdoors yet,” Alfred said.

  “Even the 200m title at the Olympics. I feel like there’s still more I can chase and go after and just leave my legacy and pay tribute to all those who pour into me and give back to them in such a way,” she added.

  After a grueling NCAA season, Alfred competed at the World Championships in Budapest in 2023. She got to the final of the 100m, finishing fifth in 10.93 before narrowly missing out on a medal in the 200m final, running 22.05 for fourth.

  If her 2024 form is a precursor, Alfred could be in for a massive World Championships in Tokyo in 2025.