Brooklyn, NY—-The New York Liberty returned to their winning ways, picking up where they left off with four consecutive victories to start the season. Despite tough losses to the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx on the road, they bounced back strong this past Friday night at home.
With a 4-1 record at home this season, the Liberty dominated from the start, seizing a 15-point lead by the end of the first quarter, shooting an impressive 57 percent as a team. Sabrina Ionescu led the charge with 15 points in the opening quarter alone. Although the Washington Mystics managed to cut the lead to six points by halftime, the Liberty maintained control.
The Liberty shot 11 of 19 from the hardwood and scored 32 points in the first quarter. Their hot shooting in the first quarter set the tone for the rest of the game.
Jonquel Jones’s clutch three-pointer in the third quarter helped keep the game in their favor, leading 67-62 by the end of the period. In the fourth quarter, Breanna Stewart’s pivotal baskets, along with Kayla Thorton’s 20 points, secured a late scoring run for the Liberty.
“I was really happy that KT was coming here,” Stewart said, “because she’s, like a b—h to play against — excuse my language. She’s just, like, really tough, and it really makes your life difficult.”
Washington went 2 1/2 minutes without scoring a basket, the Libs drained a couple of treys and the Liberty made six free throws in the final 90 seconds to seal it.
Despite the Mystics briefly taking the lead with five minutes remaining, the Liberty’s tenacious defense sealed the victory with a final score of 90-79. Myisha Hines-Allen and Shakira Austin led Washington with 11 and 12 points respectively, but it was the Liberty’s balanced effort, with Ionescu finishing with 24 points and Stewart contributing 18 points and 15 rebounds, that secured the win.
