NEW YORK -- Minnesota Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve said the 2024 WNBA title was "stolen" from her team due to what she called "incredibly disappointing" officiating in Sunday's 67-62 overtime loss to the New York Liberty in the deciding Game 5 of the Finals.

Reeve took umbrage in particular with a foul call on Lynx center Alanna Smith with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. After missing a pair of foul shots a few plays earlier, 2023 WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart went to the free throw line and made both attempts for New York to tie the score, effectively sending the game into overtime.

"All the headlines will be, 'Reeve cries foul.' Bring it on." Reeve said. "Bring it on. Because this s--- was stolen from us. Bring it on."

The Lynx challenged the call, but it was upheld. Reeve said after the game that a third party should be involved in reviewing challenges.

"At the other end when they challenged it, if we would have turned that clip in, they would have told us that this was marginal contact, no foul. Guaranteed. Guaranteed," Reeve said. "So, when you review, there should be the same parameters that you're reviewing with, but the three people on the game need a fourth party to let them know. Because that decided the game."

Reeve initially brought up her issues with the officiating at the beginning of Minnesota's postgame news conference when asked about her offense's lack of production in the second half.

"I saw a very physical and aggressive New York team," Reeve said. "We know this from being a part of the games for so long that sometimes you get away with this stuff when you're physical and aggressive, and they certainly did. It's a shame that officiating had such a hand in a series like this."

The Liberty shot 23 free throws to the Lynx's 6. There were 19 foul calls on Minnesota and 12 on New York.

"These guys shot 30% [from the floor]. Shot 30%," Reeve said of the Liberty. "The difference was in the foul line."

Minnesota superstar Napheesa Collier, who finished with 22 points, did not make it to the free throw line in Game 5. Entering Sunday's contest, Collier -- who went 11-for-23 from the floor in Game 5 -- never had 20 field goal attempts without a single free throw attempt in her career.

"I was getting held a little bit. It was a little hard to make shots," said Collier, who fouled out with 13.0 seconds left in overtime.

Reeve elaborated on her concerns.

"It just doesn't feel right that you lose a series with that level of discrepancy," she said. "We don't have a team that whines and complains and all that stuff. Sometimes, it probably hurts us. Maybe being a little more, I don't know, something. But you have a star player like Phee that just -- I don't get it. I don't get how she can be held and go to the basket and get hit, and then a marginal, at best, at best, sends their best player to the free throw line. I mean, that's tough. It's tough to swallow."

Asked to respond to Reeve's comments, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of the referees, "I thought they were pretty fair."

"The last game, that's where you get give and take. Game No. 1, we should have won that game," Brondello said. "I have so much respect for Cheryl, and I have so much respect for that Minnesota Lynx team, because, man, that was ugly.

"But we found a way to win. I'm really proud of our team, how resilient we were, how we stuck together and how we continue to trust each other. That was our word today: Just trust the process. We found a way to win."

Both coaches previously critiqued the officiating in the series, with Reeve calling out how Collier was officiated differently than Stewart after Game 3 and Brondello pointing out the foul call disparity following Game 4 when the Liberty shot nine free throws to the Lynx's 20.

"Officiating, it's not that hard," Reeve said. "When someone is being held, be consistent. If you don't want to call it a hold at one end, don't call it at the other. Be consistent. Every team asks for that. Sandy asked for that last game. Three of the games in this series, we're talking about the same damn thing."

Games 1, 3 and 4 also were incredibly close until the end, each decided by two or three points. This Finals series was the first with multiple games that went to overtime, and Sunday marked the first time a winner-take-all Finals Game 5 went to OT.

Reflecting on the season, Reeve credited her team for "[doing] the things the right way. [We] built the team within the rules ... We gave hope to those teams that aren't willing to circumvent the cap or fly illegally or all the stuff that's happened over the last five years."

New York was previously fined $500,000 for illicitly chartering flights in the 2021 season. The Las Vegas Aces had their 2025 first-round draft pick rescinded for violating league rules regarding impermissible player benefits, and the franchise is being investigated by the league for sponsorship deals its players struck with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Reeve -- a four-time champion as coach of the Lynx (2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017) -- said the result "sucks" and compared it to Minnesota's 2016 Finals run that she said "was lost on officiating," referring to a missed shot clock violation with 1:12 left in Game 5.

"This is for a championship for both teams," Reeve said. "Let them decide it. What contact is legal should be the same for both teams. This isn't that hard. So, it's disappointing. I mean, congratulations to the Liberty on their first championship ... It took them 28 years. Congrats to them. We were that close to our fifth. Just didn't happen."

NEW YORK -- The franchise that won the first game in WNBA history finally has won the last game of the season.

More than 27 years after playing for league's inaugural championship and following several near misses, the New York Liberty became WNBA champions with a 67-62 overtime victory Sunday over the Minnesota Lynx.

Breanna Stewart sealed the win with two free throws with 10.1 seconds left in the extra period. After Leonie Fiebich stole a pass, the Liberty dribbled out the clock on a victory that was as hard-fought and dramatic as any in a Game 5 of the WNBA Finals.

The Liberty prevailed 3-2 in a series marked by huge shots and big momentum shifts in the first three games. Little separated the teams in Game 4, which the Lynx won on two free throws with two seconds left.

In Game 5, before a packed house at Barclays Center, the Liberty battled back from a seven-point halftime deficit to take a 47-44 lead heading into the fourth quarter. So many years of waiting would come down to 10 minutes.

Or so it appeared.

Instead, these teams -- which faced off nine times during the season, including the Commissioner's Cup final that the Lynx claimed in June -- worked into overtime.

With 6.3 seconds left in regulation, the Liberty had the ball, trailing 60-58. Stewart was fouled by Alanna Smith, a call the Lynx challenged. After the challenge was ruled unsuccessful, Stewart hit both free throws to tie the game at 60-60. Kayla McBride missed a 3-pointer for Minnesota, and the game went to overtime.

Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve spent a considerable part of her news conference criticizing the officiating in Game 5 and the entire series, saying, "This s--- was stolen from us."

In the extra period, the Liberty's points came from Fiebich, Nyara Sabally and Stewart. Sabally had her biggest game yet as a Liberty player, with 13 points and seven rebounds. Fiebich, Sabally's German national team teammate in the Olympics, also had 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Liberty won despite shooting just 30.6% from the field. Sabrina Ionescu made just 1 of 19 shots from the field, finishing with five points. Despite those struggles, she had eight assists and seven rebounds.

Liberty forward Jonquel Jones was named Finals MVP after leading New York with 17 points in Game 5. Jones, who was +1000 to win MVP at the start of the series, tied Diana Taurasi for the third-most career points in the Finals with 320. She was playing in her fourth career Finals, after previously losing with the Connecticut Sun in 2019 and 2022 and with the Liberty last year.

"I could never dream of this," said Jones. "You know how many times I've been denied. It was delayed. I am so happy to do it here."

The title is extra special to Stewart, the team's lone native New Yorker who recalls attending Liberty games as a kid. A two-time champion while with the Seattle Storm, she joined the Liberty before the 2023 season as the biggest free agent signing in WNBA history.

"I've been manifesting this moment for a while. There's no feeling like it," Stewart said after the game. "Credit to Minnesota -- they gave us a tough series. The fans have been amazing everywhere we've gone. To bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history, it's an incredible feeling. I can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city. It's going to be bonkers."

The Liberty's ticker tape parade is scheduled for Monday.

The Liberty gave the Big Apple its first major professional basketball championship since 1973. That's when the New York Knicks won the NBA title, which came 16 years before the oldest player on the Liberty's roster, 35-year-old guard Courtney Vandersloot, was born. (The New York/New Jersey Nets won the ABA title in 1976, but that league was down to seven teams then and would merge with the NBA for 1976-77). A city that loves hoops and winners gets to combine both again.

After five previous tries to win the title -- starting in 1997, the WNBA's inaugural year -- the Liberty now have a crown to go with their iconic torch logo.

Disappointed after losing 3-1 to the Las Vegas Aces in last year's Finals, Stewart didn't have her best game offensively in Game 5, as she was 4-of-15 from the field and 5-of-8 from the foul line for 13 points. But she was strong on defense and had 15 rebounds.

Stewart, Jones and Ionescu were the Liberty's top three scorers in the regular season and the playoffs. Ionescu, the No. 1 draft pick in 2020, made a 28-foot 3-pointer with one second left in Game 3 that now surpasses Teresa Weatherspoon's half-court heave that won Game 2 of the 1999 Finals as the biggest shot in Liberty history.

The day after Weatherspoon's shot, the Liberty lost Game 3 and the title to the Houston Comets in what was then a best-of-three series. Ionescu's shot Wednesday sealed an 80-77 come-from-behind victory and gave the Liberty two chances at clinching the title. They fell short on the first attempt Friday but secured their championship Sunday.

After watching the Aces celebrate the title on New York's court last year, the Liberty all season talked about the scars they had from that -- but also the lessons they learned.

The Liberty were the No. 1 seed at a league-best 32-8, but in the playoffs had to get past the Atlanta Dream, last year's nemesis Las Vegas and Minnesota.

And the Liberty had to overcome a gut-punch loss in Game 1 of the Finals in Brooklyn, where they led by as much as 18 points and by 15 with just over five minutes left before falling 95-93 in overtime. The Liberty knew they couldn't afford to wallow in that missed chance; they won Game 2 at home 80-66.

Game 3 and its fantastic finish will go down as an epic tale in Liberty lore, which has included many highs that were overshadowed by disappointments. Game 4's loss added more drama to what many might consider the most competitive WNBA Finals ever. And Game 5 was a catharsis for the Liberty and their longtime fans.

The franchise that won the first WNBA game -- June 21, 1997, at Los Angeles -- has reached its pinnacle.

Just four years ago, Ionescu was the No. 1 pick but missed most of 2020 after suffering an ankle injury in the third game of her rookie year. The Liberty finished 2-20 in the pandemic-shortened season.

The Liberty went 12-20 and returned to the playoffs in 2021. Sandy Brondello took over as coach in 2022, and New York finished 16-20. The additions of Stewart, Jones and Vandersloot in 2023 were huge moves that helped produce back-to-back 32-8 seasons and Finals appearances.

"To just be able to see what we've accomplished in such a short amount of time is crazy to think of," said Ionescu, the only player on the 2020 roster who is still with the Liberty.

Stewart recalled having a moment of second-guessing before announcing her free agency decision in 2023.

"I thought, 'Am I doing the right thing? I'm leaving my safe space of Seattle,'" she said. "But it's been incredible. I'm back where I'm rooted. It feels like home."

And now it's a place to hang a championship banner.

NEW YORK -- As the seconds ticked down in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals on Sunday night, Breanna Stewart dribbled the ball over half court. At the long-awaited buzzer, she found Jonquel Jones for an embrace as their teammates rushed the floor.

The New York Liberty had finally done it.

Sabrina Ionescu, the franchise's longest tenured player, collapsed on the Liberty logo, her hands covering her face in euphoria. Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" blared as confetti rained down from the rafters.

It was a fitting end to a 2024 WNBA season that catapulted the WNBA into a new era of growth and cultural relevance, one that commissioner Cathy Engelbert called "the most transformational year in the WNBA's history." It featured standout individual performances -- A'ja Wilson won her third MVP with one of the most dominant seasons in league history; Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese dazzled with sensational rookie campaigns -- and leaguewide growth. The WNBA enjoyed its most watched regular season in 24 years, its highest attendance in 22 years and its most-viewed playoffs in 25 years.

In the end, the top two teams in the league facing off in the first winner-take-all overtime Game 5 of the WNBA Finals was the only conclusion for this transcendent season -- especially when one of the league's three remaining original franchises, arguably its most iconic, had the last word when the final whistle blew Sunday.

A season that featured plenty of firsts ended with the Liberty franchise earning an elusive first of its own, finally shedding the distinction of being the only WNBA original franchise without a title and able to clinch a championship on its own floor.

"To be able to bring a championship to New York, first ever in franchise history, it's an incredible feeling," Stewart said. "I literally can't wait to continue to celebrate with the city because I know it's going to be bonkers."

New York's championship -- clinched with franchise greats Teresa Weatherspoon and Sue Wicks courtside -- was an exorcism 28 seasons in the making, ending a run of frustration that began with the Liberty's initial ill-fated title run in 1997 and coursed through the decades since. It was punctuated by Weatherspoon's legendary half-court shot to win Game 2 in 1999, only to lose the title the following day; five total empty Finals trips; five other losses in the Eastern Conference finals; even a 2-20 record as recently as 2020. Going into last season, the Liberty were coming off five consecutive losing campaigns.

Then in a single offseason, New York flipped the script, becoming the first team in league history to use free agency to assemble a superteam -- and an automatic contender -- by bringing in two former MVPs in Jones and Stewart and one of the league's greatest point guards in Courtney Vandersloot. Most would have deemed last year's runner-up Finals finish a success for a newly assembled squad. Instead, the Liberty's 2023 outcome left them with what they called a "scar."

Still, they didn't enter the season as the favorites. The Las Vegas Aces opened 2024 as the top pick to complete the league's first three-peat of the millennium, while teams like the Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm executed big offseason moves in hopes of keeping up. Clark and the Indiana Fever made noise with their first playoff berth since 2016.

But New York asserted itself early, kept a stronghold on the top spot in the standings and steadily maintained its status as the best team in the league.

As the Liberty surged, the city took notice. In a summer brimming with record-breaking crowds, Barclays Center averaged the second-best attendance in the league (12,730), just two years after ranking eighth (5,327) and five after infamously hosting games in White Plains at the Westchester County Center. The regular season was only a sampling of what awaited in the postseason, as these were the highest-attended Finals in league history.

The fans were in for a show. The Liberty were better from a basketball standpoint than 2023, particularly thanks to the addition of German rookie Leonie Fiebich -- but they also developed a deeper chemistry and stronger collective will. Weekly culture meetings led by players and with guidance from mental performance coach Paddy Steinfort allowed the players to challenge and say hard things to each other, and know none of it was personal.

Through the playoffs, the Liberty figured out how to fight through adversity together, knocking off the two-time defending champ in the semis, overcoming a disastrous 0-1 start to the Finals after blowing a 15-point Game 1 lead with 5 minutes to go and prevailing in a grueling Game 5 despite scoring just 10 points in the first quarter and facing a 12-point deficit.

It was the fulfillment of the vision Jones and Stewart imagined when they decided to join forces in New York heading into the 2023 season.

"We talked about it so much, about coming together and what we envisioned of what we wanted to do in New York, and what we could do, to be able to pull it off and accomplish a dream," Jones said. "It's so freaking hard to do. It just means a lot."

Added Stewart: "Me, JJ, Sloot, we all came together to win a championship. Last year we lost in the Finals. But look at us, now we're here."

To do so, New York played more like a super team than a superteam.

With Ionescu and Stewart shooting a combined 5-for-34, the players around them stepped up. No one more so than Jones, the 2021 MVP who kept the Liberty in it with a team-high 17 points. The former No. 6 pick, who left her home country of the Bahamas to play high school basketball in Maryland, earned her first championship after falling short in three other Finals appearances.

"She led us," Stewart said of Jones, who was named Finals MVP. "Her dominance in the paint, on the boards, help-side defense. Everything that we needed, she was there. She had to wait awhile to get to this point, to get to the Finals to win a championship. But the wait was worth it."

Reserve forward Kayla Thornton helped change the game with her defensive energy. Fiebich scored four points toward the end of regulation and hit the first shot of overtime. "Whoever scores first in overtime usually wins," Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said postgame. "I was confident after that."

An unexpected hero emerged in Nyara Sabally, who embodied the definition of staying ready when your number is called. Brondello inserted the reserve center into the lineup in the third quarter -- playing a rarely used jumbo lineup of Jones, Stewart and Sabally that swung the momentum in New York's favor. Sabally finished with 13 points off the bench, including nine in the third.

"She has that X factor," Brondello said. "Her ability to make one-on-one plays, to rebound the ball, to play great defense. ... I know she's had a lot of adversity over her career, but the biggest game of her career, and she really rose to the occasion."

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Stewie (@breannastewart) October 21, 2024

And even on an off shooting night (4-for-15), Stewart dedicated herself to helping her team win regardless of whether she was scoring. She corralled 15 rebounds, dished 4 assists, blocked 3 shots.

And she made the biggest play of the night: After missing a pair of free throws with 38.2 seconds left in regulation, she made her next two with 5.2 seconds remaining after drawing a foul on Alanna Smith. The two-time league MVP then iced the game with another pair from the charity stripe in overtime with 10.1 seconds left.

In a year with new faces and new energy surrounding the sport, Stewart -- at 30 already arguably the winningest player in women's basketball history -- won again, fulfilling her goal of bringing a title to her home state after the biggest free agency move in league history.

"My first WNBA game I ever went to was at MSG, was the Liberty," Stewart said. "And to have that be full circle was amazing.

"Throughout my whole day, everybody was texting me, 'How are you? Are you ready?' ... And I was calm. I was ready because I knew that no matter what, the city was going to have our back, and they showed up and they showed out, and they continued to be there for us when we need. I'm so proud of this team but so happy to be able to bring the first championship here because the city deserves it."

Momentum is snowballing for the WNBA heading into 2025. The league's first expansion team since 2008 will debut next spring in Golden State, with new franchises in Toronto and Portland arriving in 2026. Longer playoffs are on the way. The league just signed a long-term $2.2 billion media deal, and a groundbreaking collective bargaining agreement could soon be in the works. Teams like New York and Las Vegas, which have combined to win the past three titles, have set a new standard for what's expected from ownership investment.

But with its core all but guaranteed to return for another run, the Liberty aren't done yet.

"Hey, let's not stop at one, though," Brondello said. "Let's go for two."

Golden State Warriors guard Moses Moody has agreed to a three-year, $39 million rookie contract extension with the franchise, CEO of Klutch Sports, Rich Paul, told ESPN on Sunday night.

Warriors officials and Paul have been negotiating a new deal for Moody, who is in the final year of a rookie contract he signed after being drafted with the No. 14 pick in 2021.

Moody has developed into a key, reliable rotation player for Steve Kerr during this year's training camp and is expected to receive an enhanced role for the Warriors this upcoming campaign.

Last season, Moody averaged eight points in 17.5 minutes in 66 games played, setting career highs in scoring, playing time, rebounds, steals and blocks.

At the end of that season, Kerr said he wanted to see Moody become a more aggressive shooter, especially on catch-and-shoot shots. Moody averaged 15.5 points in 20 minutes through the preseason, including three starts. He shot 45.6% from the floor and 39.4% from 3 on 5.5 attempts.

Kerr has been vocal about how impressive Moody has been in training camp and throughout the preseason.

"He's playing great," Kerr said. "He's gotten so much better in so many ways. We've always loved his character, his work ethic. This is the most confidence he's played with."

While Kerr said Moody is in line to play "a big role for us," he also offered a caveat.

"But so are a lot of other guys," Kerr said. "We're sitting in that coaches room every day saying: 'How are we going to play all these guys?' Because they all deserve to play. I've asked all of them to play their hardest, make it difficult for us."

LOS ANGELES -- The New York Mets clubhouse was full of emotion after their Game 6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS on Sunday night.

The hugs between teammates came after a valiant postseason run that ended two wins shy of the World Series. But emotions also ran high because the team has about a dozen pending free agents, making it almost a certainty the Mets won't return the same roster next season.

Their top starting pitchers will all enter free agency, as will first baseman Pete Alonso. His six-year run in New York included 226 regular-season home runs -- third in franchise history -- as well as several clutch long balls this postseason that only enhanced his popularity with Mets fans.

Alonso fought back his own emotions in discussing the team while being asked about his future.

"I'm really proud of what I was able to accomplish here," Alonso said after the 10-5 loss. "I laid it out there every day. I played my heart out every day ... I'm just thinking of the group. We'll cross that (free agent) bridge when we get there. I love this team. I love New York. I love playing in Queens. This group is really special."

Alonso played in every Mets game this year, hitting 34 home runs -- a career low -- though his 31 doubles were a career high. Overall, his 123 OPS-plus was exactly the same as in 2023, when he hit 46 home runs. He's in line for a $100 million or more deal assuming he wants a long-term contract.

"I haven't thought about anything that far," Alonso said. "I'm just kind of shell shocked that the season is over. Once you get on this postseason run you don't really think it's going to end ever."

It was a sentiment echoed throughout the locker room as players said goodbye to each other for the winter -- and perhaps longer. The trio of Mets starters who led the team down the stretch -- Jose Quintana, Luis Severino and Sean Manaea - all expressed a desire to return but know the feeling has to be mutual and change is part of the game.

"I have no control over that right now," Manaea said through watery eyes. "I love my time here. I love New York. I love the organization."

The 35 year-old Quintana added: "I'm healthy. I feel good. I want to try one more time to win a championship. This was the closest I've been in my career. One day I'm going to get the opportunity."

Players believe the Mets won't be a one-and-done team, not with owner Steve Cohen openly expressing his desire to win a championship. Cohen huddled with Alonso's and Manaea's agent, Scott Boras, before Game 6, but the playoffs aren't the time for deals to get done. That starts in November.

Boras also represents 37-year-old Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez. Martinez was asked what his future holds after signing with New York in late March.

"Pickleball," he joked.

He also expressed hope that he's not done with baseball. Last offseason was eye-opening as Martinez waited all winter for the phone to ring. It never did.

"If it happens, it happens," Martinez said. "If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm not going to come back because I'm begging to come back ... I love hitting baseballs."

Martinez played sparingly in the postseason but hit 16 home runs in 120 games for the Mets in the regular season. He knows the task that Mets GM David Stearns has in front of him, considering almost half the team will hit the open market next month.

"Obviously, they have some big decisions to make with the free agents," Martinez said. "We have to fill the holes that are going to be missing next year. I wouldn't be surprised if they do that and the team is back here (the NLCS) next year."

The biggest decision comes with their first baseman, who has endeared himself to the team and city over his nine years with the organization. Francisco Lindor might be the face of the team, but Alonso is the heart-and-soul.

"Pete has done so much for this organization, right from the get-go," teammate Brandon Nimmo said. "He means a lot to the fan base and this team. I think this October has definitely topped it off. He came through in clutch situations. It was vintage Polar Bear Pete.

"We'd love to see him back here."

LOS ANGELES -- In the end, when the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series and created the matchup that will captivate an entire nation, it was a group of seven relievers who tackled nine innings. It was Tommy Edman, an unheralded midseason pickup, who supplied most of the production. And it was Teoscar Hernández and Will Smith, mired in weekslong slumps, who turned it on when they needed to most.

The 2024 Dodgers were initially defined by their stars. As their season evolved, they were thwarted by injuries. And when adversity hit, they were bolstered by the sum of their parts -- by a fellowship that empowered them.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts alluded to it on the makeshift stage that was set up on Dodger Stadium's outfield grass Sunday night, in the wake of a 10-5, pennant-clinching victory over the New York Mets in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series, when he repeated an oft-used phrase.

"I've never believed in a group of guys more than I believe in these guys," Roberts shouted to the fans after setting up a highly anticipated, final-round showdown against the New York Yankees. "Most importantly, they believe in each other."

It was built.

"The way this collective group has come together has created that environment and culture," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said amid a celebratory clubhouse, his clothes drenched in beer. "There are a lot of people that contributed to that, but it really does take an entire group coming together to create something special."

The Dodgers splurged more than $1 billion in a winter that saw them add Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow, among others. But the following autumn presented a dizzying array of challenges. They needed to overcome a rotation that had been whittled to three starting pitchers after injuries knocked out Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Gavin Stone and Emmet Sheehan. They needed to figure out how to get consistent offensive production even though their No. 3 hitter, Freddie Freeman, was severely hampered by a sprained right ankle.

Mostly, though, they needed to conquer the layoff.

The past two years had seen the Dodgers secure first-round byes only to get knocked out in the ensuing division series by inferior NL West rivals. Their success this October, the players believed, would hinge on how they would treat the five days between the end of their regular season and the start of their postseason.

"This year," Max Muncy said, "it was very player driven."

The Dodgers wanted to recapture the comradery they felt when they won the championship at the end of the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, while quarantined in a hotel for three weeks. The off time was their opportunity. They spent at least eight hours together at the ballpark every day, even when they weren't working out. They watched the other playoff games. They ate. They talked. They set a tone.

"'We all love our family; there's no question about that,'" Muncy said, recalling a conversation at the start of the playoffs. "'We're not questioning you as a father. We know you want to be the best husband you can be. But, boys, I need three weeks out here. We need three weeks. After three weeks, we win that World Series, we get that parade, you can be the best dad, best husband, in the world.' When that message got sent out, and everybody really thought about it, it was like, 'Absolutely.'"

Their togetherness showed in their perseverance. When the Dodgers fell to the brink of elimination in the NL Division Series, they rallied around a bullpen game to win in front of a hostile San Diego crowd in Game 4 and came back home to dispatch an exceedingly talented Padres team in Game 5. When they lost Game 2 of the NLCS, merely splitting their first two games from Dodger Stadium, they responded by combining for 18 runs from New York's Citi Field in Games 3 and 4. And when they came back home for Game 6, one win away from their first World Series trip in four years, they continually applied pressure on the resurgent Mets.

Edman drove in four early runs, supplying a two-run double in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third to up his RBI total to 11 in this series, while on his way to being named NLCS MVP. Smith, who entered 5-for-36 this postseason, added a two-run homer later in the bottom of the third. Ohtani contributed an RBI single in the sixth, his eighth hit in 13 at-bats with runners on base this postseason. And a cavalcade of relievers -- Michael Kopech, Ben Casparius, Anthony Banda, Ryan Brasier, Evan Phillips, Daniel Hudson and Blake Treinen, in that order -- constantly thwarted Mets rallies.

Said Roberts: "I think they proved to themselves how tough they are."

All told, the Dodgers scored an NLCS-record 46 runs against the Mets, a team they outscored by 22 runs. They became the second team with four wins of six-plus runs in a single playoff series, joining the 2007 Boston Red Sox, and the first team with eight-plus runs four times in a single LCS, according to ESPN Research.

Ohtani lived up to expectations, setting a Dodgers record by reaching base safely 17 times in the NLCS. But Muncy tied a postseason record by reaching base in 12 consecutive plate appearances; Mookie Betts shook off an 0-for-22 postseason slump that spanned the past two Octobers by slashing .342/.419/.763 over his past nine playoff games; Hernandez went from going hitless in 18 NLCS at-bats to contributing two big hits early in Game 6; Kiké Hernández continued to thrive in October, adding a couple of home runs to give him 15 in 81 career postseason games; and Edman, moved to the cleanup spot with Freeman absent, drove in more runs than he ever has in a six-game span.

The Dodgers' offense proved to be overwhelming.

Their togetherness, Muncy believes, helped create that.

"Without a doubt," he said. "When you're in that dugout at this time of year, if you're not together as a team -- I mean, you can tell night and day. You're talking about 13, 14, 15 guys in that dugout. When they're all hanging on every pitch, hanging on every single swing with you in the batter's box, and you can hear them, and you can feel them -- that makes a big difference."

The Dodgers will now advance to their fourth World Series since 2017 and still seek their first traditional championship, with a full-fledged parade on the streets of Los Angeles, since 1988.

They'll face perhaps the only franchise more world-renowned than their own.

The Dodgers and Yankees have met in the World Series 12 times, tying the NBA's Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers for the most common championship-round matchup in all the major professional sports. They last met in 1981, a series the Dodgers won; the Yankees won when they met in 1977 and '78. Before that -- before the Dodgers left Brooklyn and traveled West in the late 1950s -- they spent decades sharing New York City.

The Dodgers were installed as small favorites over the Yankees in the World Series on Sunday at U.S. sportsbooks. Los Angeles opened at -125 at ESPN BET, with the Yankees listed as +105 underdogs.

"It's going to be special," Betts said on the field. "The world kind of wants this."

ESPN's David Purdum contributed to this report.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley silenced his full-throated critics at MetLife Stadium with a dominant performance against his former team, the New York Giants, on Sunday.

Barkley rushed for 176 yards on 17 carries (10.4 average) with a touchdown and added two catches for 11 yards before sitting out most of the fourth quarter as the Eagles cruised to a 28-3 victory.

Boos rained down as Barkley and the Eagles' offense took the field for the first time. The fans continued to voice their displeasure toward Barkley, who left the Giants after six seasons and signed with the rival Eagles this offseason, every time he touched the ball.

But the boos got quieter and quieter with every Barkley big play, and soon the fan frustration started turning toward the anemic Giants offense.

He ripped off a 55-yard run down the left side early in the second quarter, reaching a career-best top speed of 21.93 mph on the play -- the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season (Brian Thomas, 22.15 mph).

Three plays later, Barkley's teammates helped push him into the end zone from three yards out for the score.

Barkley tried to stay even-keeled this week -- saying he didn't want to make the game any more than it was -- but his performance told the story of what this meant to him. The 176 rushing yards was his most in a game at MetLife Stadium, and his 187 total yards was more than the entire Giants' team combined Sunday.

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers will use hard-throwing right-handed reliever Michael Kopech to open Game 6 of the National League Championship Series on Sunday, a scheduled bullpen game, with a chance to advance to the World Series.

Freddie Freeman, who has spent all month battling a sprained right ankle, is not in the lineup against New York Mets left-hander Sean Manaea, a particularly difficult matchup for left-handed hitters because of his crossfire delivery. Freeman took batting practice on the field during Saturday's workout, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he "just doesn't feel like himself."

Freeman is expected to be available to pinch hit and will probably start against right-hander Luis Severino if the NLCS moves to a winner-take-all Game 7.

With Freeman out of the lineup, the Dodgers moved Max Muncy to first base and Enrique Hernandez to third, with Andy Pages starting in center. The right-handed-hitting Chris Taylor replaced the left-handed-hitting Gavin Lux, who was benched mostly because of the matchup but also because he's still battling a hip flexor injury. The Mets will go with the same lineup that provided them with 12 runs in Game 5, with Brandon Nimmo moving into the No. 2 spot and another left-handed hitter, Jeff McNeil, starting at second base.

The Dodgers had been mostly using Ryan Brasier to start their bullpen games, but he gave up a leadoff home run to Francisco Lindor in a Game 2 loss from Dodger Stadium. Landon Knack, a starting pitcher, followed Brasier and gave up five runs in the second inning, punctuated by a Mark Vientos grand slam.

The Dodgers would ideally get through Game 6 by using their six high-leverage relievers, a list that includes Brasier, Kopech, Evan Phillips, Anthony Banda, Blake Treinen and Daniel Hudson. But they also must account for a potential Game 7.

"That's something that we're all going to have to wait and see how the game plays out, and that will dictate that," Roberts said of balancing heavy workloads for his relievers with making sure they're available the following night. "That's something that certainly has to be in my mind, as well."

On Saturday, the New York Yankees punched the first ticket to the World Series, beating the Cleveland Guardians in 10 innings. Now, the Los Angeles Dodgers will attempt to do the same, with a 3-2 advantage over the New York Mets and in their return to Dodger Stadium.

Will the Mets stay alive? Or will the Dodgers seal their spot in the Fall Classic?

We've got it all covered, from live updates and analysis during the games to takeaways after the final pitch to what's next for each team.

Jump to: Lineups, matchups | Live updates

Today's matchup

* All times Eastern

New York Mets at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:08 p.m.

Dodgers lead series 3-2

Pitching matchup: Sean Manaea (2-0, 2.65 ERA) vs. Michael Kopech (15 saves, 3.46 ERA)

Lineups

Mets

Francisco Lindor (S) SS
Brandon Nimmo (L) LF
Mark Vientos (R) 3B
Pete Alonso (R) 1B
Jesse Winker (L) DH
Starling Marte (R) RF
Tyrone Taylor (R) CF
Jeff McNeil (L) 2B
Francisco Alvarez (R) C

Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani (L) DH
Mookie Betts (R) RF
Teoscar Hernandez (R) LF
Tommy Edman (S) SS
Max Muncy (L) 1B
Enrique Hernandez (R) 3B
Andy Pages (R) CF
Will Smith (R) C
Chris Taylor (R) 2B

Live updates

Check back at start of Dodgers-Mets Game 6 for live updates throughout the game.

The Colorado Avalanche placed Jonathan Drouin on injured reserve Sunday and called up fellow veteran forward Chris Wagner from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League.

Drouin, 29, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since he was injured in Colorado's season opener at the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 9.

The third overall pick of the 2013 NHL draft by Tampa Bay has 337 points (96 goals, 241 assists) in 565 games with the Lightning (2014-17), Montreal Canadiens (2017-23) and Avalanche.

Wagner, 33, an 11-year veteran, has played two games this season in his second stint with Colorado. He was fifth-round draft pick of Anaheim in 2010 and has 65 points (38 goals, 27 assists) in 375 games with the Ducks (2014-16, 2017-18), Avalanche (2015-16, 2023-present), New York Islanders (2017-18), Boston Bruins (2018-23).