Breanna Stewart scored 29 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 27 as the New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 113-109 on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, snapping a two-game skid of their own.
Stewart was dominant in the second half, pouring in 19 of her points after intermission while shooting 11-of-19 from the field. The two-time WNBA MVP stuffed the stat sheet with seven assists, four rebounds and four steals, showcasing the two-way versatility that has defined her career.
Ionescu provided early firepower, scoring 14 points in the first quarter alone to help New York build a 36-30 lead after the opening period. She finished 9-of-16 from the floor, including five 3-pointers.
The Liberty bench made a decisive impact. Rebekah Gardner scored 15 points, while Han Xu and Marine Fauthoux each contributed 13. Fauthoux knocked down two consecutive 3-pointers midway through the fourth quarter to stretch New York's lead to 93-86, and the Liberty maintained a two-possession advantage for virtually the entire final eight minutes.
Los Angeles appeared to seize control late in the third quarter when Rae Burrell — who led the Sparks with 24 points — buried a 3-pointer to give LA an 81-74 lead. But New York responded with an 11-4 run to close the period, with Stewart's floater putting the Liberty up by one heading into the fourth.
Nneka Ogwumike recorded 21 points and nine assists for the Sparks, who have now lost six consecutive games and nine of their last 11, dropping to 10-17 on the season. Ogwumike had posted four straight double-doubles entering the contest.
New York improves to 16-12 and will face the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday in a key matchup. The Sparks host the Portland Fire on Sunday.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/liberty-sparks-score-wnba-53576238d5295797f5622636a258750d
