Breanna Stewart delivered a stellar performance with 33 points and 14 rebounds, leading the visiting New York Liberty to an 88-75 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday.
The Liberty (8-2) secured their fourth consecutive win and avenged their earlier loss to the Sky (3-5) on May 23. New York surged with a 15-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter after Chicago had erased a 17-point first-half deficit.
Guard Sabrina Ionescu contributed significantly with 24 points and seven rebounds, helping the Liberty hold the Sky to a season-low 32.4 percent shooting from the field.
Chicago rookie Angel Reese was ejected late in the game after receiving two technical fouls with 2:31 remaining. Reese recorded 13 points and 10 rebounds but struggled with her shooting, making only 3 of 12 attempts.
New York dominated the first quarter, shooting 57.9 percent to establish a 31-15 lead. Stewart led the charge with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range.
The Sky mounted a comeback in the second quarter, sparked by Chennedy Carter, who scored 10 of her 15 first-half points in the period. Despite Carter’s efforts, the Sky trailed 49-48 at halftime after outscoring the Liberty 33-18 in the second frame.
Following a low-scoring third quarter, the Liberty regained control in the fourth. Entering the final period trailing 66-65, New York surged to an 80-68 lead with 6:02 left in the game. The Liberty’s defense stifled the Sky, holding them to just 2-of-16 shooting in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
Carter led Chicago with 16 points off the bench, while Marina Mabrey added 15 points and veteran Elizabeth Williams contributed 10 points.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 14 points and five assists for the Liberty, who made 10 of their 32 three-point attempts.
