Brooklyn, NY — Breanna Stewart poured in 27 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 24 as the New York Liberty outlasted the Golden State Valkyries 82-77 on Thursday night, preserving their perfect record and improving to 5-0 on the season.
Two nights after a lopsided 95-67 win over Golden State, the Liberty faced a much stiffer test from the WNBA’s newest franchise. This time, the Valkyries pushed the defending Eastern Conference champions to the brink in a game that saw 20 lead changes and 16 ties.
With 1:35 remaining, Stewart calmly sank two free throws to put New York ahead 78-77. The Valkyries had multiple chances to respond but misfired on three straight 3-point attempts. A costly five-second violation on an inbounds play with 43.6 seconds left gave the Liberty possession once again.
On the ensuing possession, Natasha Cloud drove to the basket for a clutch layup, extending the Liberty’s lead to 80-77 with 24 seconds remaining. Golden State had one final opportunity, but Cecilia Zandalasini’s game-tying three-point attempt missed the mark. Cloud then iced the game at the line with two free throws.
Janelle Salaün led the Valkyries with a standout performance, recording 18 points and 13 rebounds.
New York, which had scored at least 90 points in its first four games, was held below that mark for the first time this season. They fell just short of matching the 2023 Las Vegas Aces as the only team in league history to open a season with five consecutive 90-point games. The Aces went on to claim their second straight WNBA title that year.
The Liberty were without All-Star center Jonquel Jones, who sat out with a right hamstring injury. The contest marked the first of a demanding three-game stretch over four days, with New York set to face Washington on Friday before returning home to host Connecticut on Sunday.
Adding a touch of celebrity to the night, actor Jackie Chan was in attendance. He met with Ionescu and Valkyries head coach Natalie Nakase — the first Asian American head coach in WNBA history — prior to tipoff.
