Aug 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) celebrates in the first half against the LA Sparks Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports After colliding on Tuesday, the New York Liberty and Dallas Wings are ready to run it back.
New York will go for an eighth straight win when it once again plays host to Dallas on Thursday night.
The Liberty (24-4) were without Sabrina Ionescu (neck) and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (knee) for the entirety of Tuesday’s game, but they didn’t let those absences phase them in a 94-74 rout of the Wings (6-21).
Breanna Stewart (26 points, 12 rebounds), Jonquel Jones (23 points, 12 rebounds) and Courtney Vandersloot (15 points, 11 assists) led New York, marking the second time in Liberty franchise history that three players have recorded a double-double in a single game.
“Really proud of this team,” New York coach Sandy Brondello said. “We had to grind it out, it wasn’t always pretty, but we still put up 94 points and we kept a really dangerous team to 74. …
“To win championships, you need to rely on your bench. (It’s a) very compact season that we have. We’re led by — we have a great Big Three, but we have great players around it that really just buy in and come in and do what they do.”
While the Liberty boast the league’s best record, the Wings are on the opposite end of the spectrum, sitting in 10th place in the 12-team WNBA.
Dallas has lost five of its past six games, giving up at least 100 points in three of those setbacks.
Despite their struggles this year, the Wings received a late-season boost with the recent returns of Maddy Siegrist (finger) and Satou Sabally (shoulder) from injury.
Siegrist came off the bench in Tuesday’s loss and has enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign in which she is averaging 14.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, Sabally, a two-time All-Star, has averaged 22.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists through her first two games of 2024.
Sabally had 24 points, five boards and four assists in the loss to New York on Tuesday.
Although a playoff push is unlikely at this point for the Wings, Sabally is thrilled to be back in action and hopes to help Dallas get a few wins to end the season on a high note.
“It’s 100 percent,” Sabally said of her confidence level now that she’s back on the court. “I feel like I always believe in my abilities. I’ve had some games under the belt from the Olympics, and I feel like coming from that — I’m just excited to play again.
“This was a really hard time for me, and I’m just happy to play.”
–Field Level Media
