The New York Liberty triumph over the Dallas Wings with a score of 79-71, securing their eighth consecutive victory and maintaining their position as the best team in the league.
The result secured an eighth consecutive victory for the Liberty, who now lead the Eastern Conference with an impressive 25-4 record, setting a new record for the best start in 29 games in their history.
Leading the way was two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart, who scored a team-high 19 points. Despite a subpar shooting night, going 5-for-18 from the field and missing all three of her three-point attempts, she made nine free throws. Stewart also contributed seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Injuries kept three-time All-Star Sabrina Ionescu and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton off the court, but the Liberty found a way to secure the win despite a disappointing 35.1% shooting from the field as a team. Four of their players still managed to score in double figures.
After the game, coach Sandy Brondello admitted: “It wasn’t a pretty game. We didn’t shoot well and we were missing some key players, but we found a way to win, which says a lot about this team.”
Brondello’s team took a 9-3 lead early on, with Stewart contributing six points in the first four minutes. However, the Wings mounted a comeback to end the first quarter with a 17-14 lead. Liberty took the lead in the second quarter and entered halftime with a three-point advantage as both teams battled tooth and nail throughout the game.
New York started the second half on a 7-0 run, fueled by a powerful offensive rebounding play and layup by Kayla Thornton.
Dallas fought back to keep the game close, taking a 56-55 lead with 6:47 remaining on a three-point play by Arike Ogunbowale. For the rest of the fourth quarter, both teams remained neck-and-neck, but the Liberty pulled away with a final 9-2 run.
The win was a huge boost for New York, becoming the first team to clinch a playoff spot on Saturday.
“Sometimes, you have to grind out wins,” Brondello said. “We stuck together and that’s a testament to the chemistry of this team – even in adversity and not playing our best game, there was no finger pointing, and it was more like ‘Let’s just do this now and find a way.’
“They’re always lifting each other up, patting each other on the back, and encouraging each other. As long as we have that, we’re in a great position.”
German rookie Leonie Fiebich set a new career-high with 16 points for the Liberty, while Thornton also chipped in with 16. Jonquel Jones had 13 points and 13 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and 90th career double-double, becoming just the eighth player in league history to reach the milestone.
Ogunbowale, who ranks third in the league in points per game, scored 19 points for Dallas, with Natasha Howard adding 16. Despite her strong performance, Howard was responsible for seven of the team’s 14 turnovers and missed out on playing time.
The loss left the Wings with a 6-22 record, tied for last place in the WNBA with the Los Angeles Sparks and Washington Mystics.
This victory in the sport further reinforces the Liberty’s dominance in the Eastern Conference. Despite facing challenges, the team’s unity and focus on winning are commendable aspects of its sporting performance.
