Chicago, IL — The New York Liberty put on a historic shooting display Thursday night, setting a new WNBA regular-season record with 19 made three-pointers in a commanding 99-74 win over the Chicago Sky.
Natasha Cloud led the charge with 18 points, sinking four shots from beyond the arc and dishing out eight assists. The Liberty’s deep shooting barrage came from all directions, as eight of nine players who attempted a three hit at least one. As a team, New York finished an eye-popping 19-of-34 from downtown (56%).
The previous WNBA regular-season high for made threes was 18, while the playoff record stands at 23, set by the Las Vegas Aces in 2022.
Off the bench, Kennedy Burke delivered a perfect performance from deep, going 4-for-4 and finishing with 17 points. Star guard Sabrina Ionescu chipped in 16 points, with Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones adding 12 and 11, respectively, to help the Liberty improve to 2-0 on the young season.
New York was efficient all-around, shooting 55% from the field and hitting 16 of 17 free throws.
Meanwhile, Chicago’s highly-touted rookie Angel Reese had a tough night. She missed all eight of her shot attempts and managed just two points, breaking a personal streak of 136 games (spanning college and pro) with at least one made field goal. The last time she failed to score from the floor was in Maryland’s 2021 NCAA Tournament loss to Texas.
Despite her shooting struggles, Reese made an impact on the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds — eight on the offensive end — but also committed five of Chicago’s 23 turnovers.
The Liberty set the tone early, jumping out to a 28-23 lead after the first quarter. After Chicago closed the gap to 36-30 midway through the second, New York closed the half with a 17-2 surge to seize control. The Sky briefly rallied to open the third, scoring the first eight points, but never got closer than 13.
Cloud again stepped up early in the fourth, scoring eight points during a 13-4 Liberty run that stretched the lead to 30.
Rachel Banham paced the Sky with 15 points, while veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot — who played with New York during last year’s championship run — added 14 for Chicago (0-2).
Looking Ahead:
The Liberty continue their road trip Saturday with a matchup against the Indiana Fever. The Sky will head west to face the Los Angeles Sparks on Sunday.
