The New York Liberty resumed their dominance after the Olympic break, overwhelming the Los Angeles Sparks with a 103-68 victory as the WNBA returned to action on Thursday. Breanna Stewart delivered 27 points in just 20 minutes, and Sabrina Ionescu contributed 18 points along with six assists.
The Liberty secured their third victory of the season by a margin of 35 points or more, setting a new WNBA record.
New York's 103 points marked their highest-ever scoring total against the Sparks in the series history.
Additionally, this was the third time New York led by over 20 points at halftime, a feat the rest of the league has only managed to achieve three times all season.
Liberty extinguish Sparks
New York jumped out to a quick start by scoring the first 10 points of the game and limiting Los Angeles to just 10 points in the first quarter, establishing a 19-point lead.
Stewart and Ionescu fresh off the Olympics combined for 26 points in the first half, outpacing the Sparks' total of 28, and extending New York's lead to 29 points by halftime.
Despite the lopsided score, Stewart delivered some late excitement by hitting three-pointers on three consecutive possessions, extending the Liberty's lead to 37 points in the third quarter. Kayla Thornton then added another 3-pointer, bringing the score to 80-40 and doubling the Sparks' total with 2:18 left in the quarter.
Even though Sabrina Ionescu's streak of 20-point games ended at five, she still achieved a milestone by grabbing her 751st career rebound, moving past Teresa Weatherspoon for the seventh spot in Liberty history.
Meanwhile, Kayla Thornton, coming off the bench, added 16 points, primarily fueled by her 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Disappointing return for Sparks
Rae Burrell paced Los Angeles with 15 points. Dearica Hamby chipped in 14 points and 13 rebounds, Rickea Jackson scored 13 points, and Kia Nurse contributed 10 points.
Burrell acknowledged that the Sparks might have had some post-Olympic rust, given their youth and the fact that four players participated in the Olympics.
With four players also sidelined due to injury, the Sparks were left with just nine active players against the league’s top team. However, she chose not to make excuses.
The Sparks can’t dwell on the loss, as they face Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky at home on Saturday and then travel to Las Vegas on Sunday to play the two-time defending champion Aces.
While the schedule remains challenging, it offers chances for improvement. Nonetheless, despite being a young team in a rebuilding phase, Thursday’s game was a disappointment.
The Liberty stay on the West Coast for a big game on Saturday, taking on the Las Vegas Aces in a rematch of the previous WNBA Finals.
New York and Las Vegas first faced off this season on June 15 in Las Vegas, where the Liberty secured a 90-82 victory. The loss brought Aces star A'ja Wilson to tears, as she vowed to motivate her teammates to improve.
After that defeat, the Aces were at 6-6 but have since gone 10-2. This upcoming game will be the second of their three regular-season matchups, with the final meeting set for September 8 in Brooklyn.
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