After the Phoenix Mercury ended the Liberty’s eight-game win streak on Tuesday, New York came home strong and bounced back into the win column with a final score of 93-80.
With no shock, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and Breanna Stewart were nothing short of great. This was a season-high night for Ionescu with 31 points, going 6-for-11 behind the arc and 11-for-19 from the field. She also added nine assists and two rebounds. Jones put up 22 points, with seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
In the third quarter, the two scored 11 points combined in a 13-0 run that helped put the game away. Jones did foul out in the fourth quarter, making it her second game in a row that she exited early. Stewart had a solid night picking up 17 points and going 6-for-13 from the field, along with five boards and five assists.
But even when the stars are putting up great numbers, we can’t overlook the Liberty’s bench. Ivana Dojkic came out with a 12-point game with a pair of both rebounds and assists. This was the kind of depth the Liberty (13-3) were missing last year, and now, especially with the big injuries this team has faced, having this versatility off the bench is vital when looking to go on a championship run.
On the opposing side, this was the first game the Sparks did not have star rookie star Cameron Brink after her season-ending ACL tear earlier this week. This marked their fifth consecutive loss with their highest scorers being Aari Mcdonald with 15 points and Stephanie Talbet and Dearica Hamby tied with 9 points.
The Liberty and Sparks are set for a rematch Friday afternoon as New York will try and continue LA’s losing streak to six.
