106-83 Victory For Liberty Against Dream; Thanks To Sabrina lonescu’s Career Night
The New York Liberty trounced the Atlanta Dream 106-83 on Friday night behind a career-high 37 points from Sabrina Ionescu, including 20 points in the second quarter…… Read more in detail….
106-83 Victory For Liberty Against Dream; Thanks To Sabrina lonescu's Career Night - the image is a video screen grab.
The New York Liberty trounced the Atlanta Dream 106-83 on Friday night behind a career-high 37 points from Sabrina Ionescu, including 20 points in the second quarter.
Eight 3-pointers were hit by Ionescu, a career-best and franchise record, with the final of those helping the Liberty reach 100 points for the first time this year. She connected on 10 of her 18 field goal attempts, including 8 of 13 three-pointers, and she also hit 9 out of 10 free throws.
For New York (5-2), Breanna Stewart scored 25 points and grabbed 9 rebounds; Jonquel Jones scored 11, while Courtney Vandersloot dished out 11 assists.
For Atlanta (2-4), Allisha Grey scored 17 points, Rhyne Howard added 15, and Cheyenne Parker added 12.
Atlanta was down 61-39 at the break, but by the end of the third quarter, they had cut the deficit to 67-60. Marine Johannes‘ steal resulted in a fast break layup, giving the Liberty a nine-point lead. New York then went on a 10-0 run to end the quarter. In the fourth quarter, the Liberty increased their advantage by six points.
Atlanta had a 15-13 lead in the opening frame when Stewart went on a nine-point scoring run that featured two three-pointers, one of which was converted into a four-point play. At the end of the half, the Liberty had a 26-19 advantage.
Midway through the second quarter, Haley Jones connected on a 3-pointer grabbed a rebound at the other end, and sank a short jump shot to tie Atlanta at 33.
The Dream, however, could not gain the upper hand as New York answered with a 14-1 run, during which Ionescu scored 10 points. She finished the quarter with 20 points, two short of the WNBA record. At halftime, New York was up 61-39 thanks to her 23 points in the opening period.
Atlanta’s record in the Commissioner’s Cup is 1-2, while New York’s is 4-2.
The game between the Liberty and Minnesota slated for Tuesday was postponed due to poor air quality in New York, although the team recovered from its previous defeat to Chicago, 86-82.
