In the most anticipated matchup of the postseason, The New York Liberty lit up the scoreboard and got a much-needed 87-77 Game 1 semifinal victory over their rivals.
The Liberty are now 4-0 this season when facing the two-time defending champions. Breanna Stewart led the way in Brooklyn as she finished with an impressive slash of 34 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The All-WNBA Defensive first-team member also added two assists as well as one rejection while frustrating the Aces offense all game long.
Stew York City makes history
The woman they call “Stew York City” also finished the game making some history. She scored at least 10 points for the 35th consecutive playoff game. This feat allowed her to pass the great Lisa Leslie for the longest double-digit scoring performance in WNBA postseason history. Right from the opening tipoff, it was clear that Stewart wanted to make a statement. This is especially true considering she was going up against the 2024 WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson. Stewart losing her reigning MVP status was one of the many motivating factors she had heading into this series.
The Liberty outscored the Aces in the first quarter by seven thanks in large part to Stewart and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. The former Rutgers guard had an immediate impact on the defensive end with several steals and all-around stifling defense down low in the post. The rest of the team followed her lead as New York ended game one with a combined 10 takeaways and four blocks. The home team fed off the Liberty faithful and never allowed Las Vegas to get into a solid rhythm.
Sabrina did her thing
Sabrina Ionescu was the star of the fourth quarter and almost single-handedly put Game 1 away. The star point guard finished with 21 points on 9-15 shooting. The player the fans called “SA3NA” three-point shot came alive in the final ten minutes as she knocked two of her three-made triples down the stretch. Jonquel Jones finished with a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double and was a main catalyst in slowing down Wilson and the Aces down low. Jones also surpassed former Liberty Tar Phillips for the most postseason offensive rebounds in Liberty history.
Head Coach Sandy Brondello and her team will look for the stranglehold 2-0 series lead on Tuesday night in Brooklyn for Game 2 (7:30 PM EST, ESPN).
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