The Liberty remain one of the WNBA’s best at the All-Star break
The New York Liberty faced the Indiana Fever on the road Wednesday in a rare weekday 12 p.m. tip-off for their last game before the WNBA All-Star break. They went into the game at 13-4, holding the second best record in the league, trailing only the 17-2 Las Vegas Aces.
The Liberty suffered a 98-81 defeat to the Aces in Las Vegas on June 29, the first matchup between the teams this season, but then won three straight before yesterday’s meeting with the Fever. One of those wins came against the Seattle Storm this past Saturday.
New York finished with 29 assists on 33 field goals against Breanna Stewart’s former team in a 80-76 win at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 6-4 forward, in her first season with the Liberty, has been sensational. The 28-year-old former UConn star was averaging 24.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game before taking on the Fever and was a leading candidate for the WNBA’s MVP award. She was the league MVP in 2018 and a two-time Finals MVP with the Storm’s 2018 and 2020 championship teams.
Stewart finished with 25 and guard Sabrina Ionescu added 20 for the Liberty. They are two of the Liberty’s All-Stars for Saturday’s game in Las Vegas. Stewart was named a starter and captain along with the Aces A’ja Wilson. Ionescu and her backcourt partner Courtney Vandersloot will also represent the Liberty.
Jewell Loyd, the WNBA’s leading scorer as of Tuesday at 23.9 points per games, and the Storm have struggled in their first season after Sue Bird’s retirement and Stewart’s departure in free-agency. They were just 4-14 entering their game versus the Washington Mystics on the road on Tuesday.
It has been announced that Ionescu will be the next featured cover athlete for the popular video game NBA2K.
The Liberty hosted its second annual Sneakerhead Game on Saturday at the Barclays. Fans were treated to a complimentary Jason Markk sneaker-cleaning station, presented by American Express. The first 2,000 fans received exclusive pairs of New York Liberty socks.
In the spirit of community, NY Liberty also partnered with Soles4Souls, a nonprofit dedicated to turning unwanted clothing and shoes into opportunities. Fans can bring new and used sneakers in good condition to Barclays on game day and drop them in a Soles4Souls donation box that will be available on the arena concourse. In exchange, donors will receive two complimentary tickets when the New York Liberty face off with the Fever at home on Sunday, July 23.
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