Brooklyn, NY — Breanna Stewart delivered a dominant all-around performance Wednesday night, leading the New York Liberty to a decisive 98–77 victory over the Indiana Fever at Barclays Center. The Fever were without rookie phenom Caitlin Clark, who missed the game due to a groin injury sustained late in Tuesday night’s matchup against Connecticut in Boston.
Stewart filled the stat sheet with 24 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, propelling the Liberty (15–6) to their third straight win. Her early energy helped New York build a quick 32–24 lead after the first quarter, and by halftime, the Liberty had extended the margin to 15 points. Stewart had already tallied 13 points, 9 boards, and 5 assists by the break.
The Liberty sealed the game in the third quarter, with Stewart’s three-point play pushing the lead to 71–48 with just under four minutes left in the period. The crowd of 17,371 erupted as the lead ballooned, and Indiana never came closer than 15 the rest of the way.
Sabrina Ionescu, also gearing up for this weekend’s 3-point contest at the WNBA All-Star Weekend, added 15 points and 9 assists for New York.
On the other side, Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever (12–11) with 16 points. The team dropped to 4–6 in games Clark has missed this season. Clark, who is slated to captain one of the All-Star squads and compete in the 3-point contest, is still expected to participate in All-Star Weekend activities despite her injury.
The Liberty remain without All-Star center Jonquel Jones, who has missed the past month with a sprained ankle. However, Jones said she’s targeting a return next Tuesday—New York’s first game after the All-Star break, which will also be against Indiana.
