By Richard Jean
Breanna Stewart scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 8 rebounds, Sabrina Ionescu scored 20 points, including six three-pointers, and the New York Liberty grinded out a gusty 80-76 win at home against the Seattle Storm on Saturday, July 8.
The Liberty started the contest on a 8-0 run and led by as many as 9 in the opening quarter, but Seattle stormed back, out-scoring New York 29-19 in the final 16:03 of the first-half to take a one-point lead at intermission.
Seattle took a 42-35 lead to start the third as Ivana Dojkic made consecutive threes 1:45 into the quarter, but New York kept it close as they shot 8-13 from behind the arch the rest of the second half.
In the fourth, New York took a 10-point lead with 3:04 left to play, following Ionnescu’s final three of the afternoon, Sami Whitcomb scored Seattle’s next 8 points to bring the contest within 2 with 99 seconds left in regulation. Seattle was unable to convert on its ensuing possessions and was forced to foul Ionescu, bringing her to the free-throw line where she made both attempts with 17.1 seconds left to play, putting New York up 4 and securing the win.
Whitcomb scored a team-high 19 points off the bench for Seattle, which fell to 4-14, the second worst record in the WNBA. Jewell Loyd scored 14 points for the Storm but exited the game in the final quarter after sustaining an ankle injury.
With the win, the Liberty improved to 13-4 and remain atop the Eastern Conference. New York traveled to the Hoosier state to face the Indiana Fever on Wednesday night in their final game before the All-Star break.
