Brooklyn, NY — The New York Liberty bounced back from a tough loss to the Dallas Wings last week with an impressive 85-76 victory on Tuesday night, led by Jonquel Jones’ 15 points and 10 boards.
Leonie Fiebich chipped in 14 points, while Emma Meesseman, in her first home game for the Liberty since returning to the WNBA, added 13 points. The Barclays Center crowd erupted in chants of “Emma!” as the Liberty secured the win. Meesseman, a former Finals MVP and three-time Euro-League Women’s MVP, made her season debut on Sunday, scoring 11 points in the team’s 87-78 win over Connecticut.
Paige Bueckers had a strong performance for Dallas, recording 21 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in her first game since Dijonai Carrington’s trade to the Lynx. However, Bueckers left the game midway through the third quarter due to a back issue but returned to the bench at the start of the fourth and played through the remainder of the game.
Dallas forward Maddy Siegrist, making her return after a two-month knee injury absence, scored 13 points. Arike Ogunbowale also contributed 14 points for the Wings.
The Liberty, who came into the game with a 17-10 record, jumped out to an early lead and held onto it for the majority of the night. With just minutes left in the first half, Bueckers hit two free throws to tie the game at 34, but a clutch three-pointer from Stephanie Talbot gave New York a lead they would never relinquish.
Talbot finished with 13 points, while Sabrina Ionescu, who had been relatively quiet for much of the game, scored nine points — three in the first half and six in the second.
The Wings (8-21) managed to keep the game close through the first three quarters, but the Liberty (18-10) extended their lead in the final period, sealing the win with a strong fourth-quarter push. The Liberty’s defense and depth proved too much for Dallas as the game progressed, leaving the Wings with little room to rally.
