Brooklyn, NY — Breanna Stewart made a triumphant return from injury, scoring 19 points, and Jonquel Jones added 18 to lead the New York Liberty to a hard-fought 81-79 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Monday night.
Stewart, who had missed the previous 13 games due to a bone bruise in her right knee, played just 21 minutes but made a significant impact in her limited time on the court.
Trailing 59-58 entering the final period, the Liberty sparked a comeback when Jones knocked down a crucial 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter. The teams exchanged leads in a back-and-forth finish before New York went on a decisive 9-0 run to take control. Sabrina Ionescu, who was instrumental in the rally, began the run with four free throws, and Emma Meesseman capped it with a layup, pushing the Liberty ahead 74-66 with 3:47 remaining.
Despite Connecticut’s resilient effort, which saw them close the gap to 81-79 after Aaliyah Edwards sank two free throws with 23.6 seconds left, New York held firm. Ionescu ran down the clock before Stewart’s errant pass was intercepted by Leila Lacan. Lacan raced down the court for what could have been the game-winning layup, but Ionescu sprinted back and stripped the ball from Lacan with just 2.2 seconds left, sealing the Liberty’s victory.
The win snapped Connecticut’s three-game winning streak. Aneesah Morrow led the Sun with 18 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to overcome New York’s late surge.
The Liberty got off to a strong start, building a 27-15 lead in the first quarter behind Jones and Stewart. However, Connecticut fought back in the second half, with Lacan, who was a late addition to the lineup after being listed as doubtful due to an eye injury, leading the charge. Lacan finished the game with a team-high 22 points.
With the win, New York improved to 23-15 on the season, while Connecticut fell to 9-28.
