NEW YORK – Guard Sabrina Ionescu and the New York Liberty overcame a slow start and a 14-point deficit to defeat the visiting Chicago Sky 91-76 at Barclays Center on Thursday night.
The Liberty – who are 2-1 against the Sky this season – join 13 other teams in WNBA history by winning 19 of their first 23 games of a season. Twelve of those teams made it to the WNBA Finals that year and 10 won the championship.
“This is a seasoned team, an experienced team,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “They can lock in. We have great leadership. There’s a commitment to excellence. Even if you struggled a quarter, they always encourage each other, ‘Come on, let’s do it. Let’s get better.’ ‘”
Ionescu missed her first seven shots of the game and was 1-of-8 from the floor at halftime, finishing with a team-best 21 points behind 6-for-9 shooting (4-of-6 from 3) in the second half. . ,
“I had my head down at halftime and then I came back to start the third game with the understanding that I had to go out there and put the ball in the basket to make this team win,” Ionescu said. “I’m just grateful that I got a chance to go out there and look good.”
“Sometimes when shooters like that get into a rhythm, it doesn’t matter who’s out there,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “They feel like they can make any shot they take.”
The 2020 No. 1 pick is averaging a career-best 19 points and 6 assists per game this season.
“He’s a very special player, isn’t he?” Brondello said of Ionescu. “I know Sabrina didn’t have a very typical start to the game, but you can never stop her for more than 20 minutes and she showed that in the second half.”
The Sky were paced by Chennady Carter (22 points, 14 in the first half), while rookie Angel Reese (10 points, 10 rebounds) extended her WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles to 15 games behind a five-rebound fourth quarter. Gave.
“We could have been better defensively, could have done some things better in the second half and I could have done the same thing,” said Weatherspoon, whose Sky fell to 9-13 and seventh in the WNBA standings. But it is.
The game reportedly drew a crowd of 17,758, the largest crowd in Liberty history at Barclays Center.
It was a strong night for Liberty’s big three, with Breanna Stewart finishing with 19 points and Jonquel Jones finishing with 18 points, 13 rebounds and 4 blocks. New York improved to 16–1 this season when Jones scored 10 or more points, while going 3–4 (including the Commissioner’s Cup championship) when she scored nine or fewer points.
Rookie Leonie Fibich – starting in place of the injured Betnijah Lani-Hamilton – added a season-high 13-points, while veteran Kayla Thornton provided a big presence on both ends with 16 points and four steals.
After 14 lead changes and five ties in the first 30 minutes, New York took control with a 28–14 fourth quarter, with Ionescu and Thornton combining to outscore the Sky 22–14.
Thornton’s composure and hard work on both ends drew cheers from the Barclays crowd, including in the fourth quarter when she ran down the tunnel after chasing down Sky’s Lindsay Allen and knocking the ball away from her on a fast break opportunity. .
“That’s what Katie does,” Jones said. “She understands her role and she does it to the best of her ability. We need more from her, just continue to leave everything out there. And we become a better team when she does that.”
The Liberty also outscored the Sky 17–2 in fast-break points and scored 21 points on 13 Chicago turnovers.
“I think we have the tools to be a great defensive team,” Brondello said of his team, which held the Sky to double-digit scoring in the second and fourth quarters. “It’s consistency, and we’ve shown it a lot this year: When we lock in, we can lock teams in. Not always for 40 minutes, but we know how to raise the level. And It’s just communication and I think the trust they have is pretty special.”
The teams will meet again on Saturday at 1 pm ET for a rematch in Chicago.
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