In a commanding performance on Sunday, the New York Liberty equaled their previous WNBA record by sinking 19 three-pointers, dominating the Connecticut Sun in a 100-52 win. The victory margin was the second largest in WNBA history, just short of Minnesota’s 59-point record over Indiana back in 2017. However, it set a new franchise record for the Liberty, surpassing their previous high—a 43-point win against Washington in 1998.
Sabrina Ionescu spearheaded New York’s efforts, scoring 18 points, with Jonquel Jones contributing 13 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Breanna Stewart and Leonie Fiebich also chipped in with 13 points apiece. All four key players took a breather for most of the fourth quarter, with the game well in hand.
The impressive victory extends New York’s unbeaten start to the season, marking their best opening performance since the inception of the league in 1997. The Liberty, having also hit 19 three-pointers against Chicago on May 22, almost set a new high in Sunday’s game by making 18 threes in just the first three quarters. Despite cooling off in the final quarter, where they only made one more three-pointer, the team’s offensive output was already more than sufficient.
This win capped off a relentless schedule for New York, who played four games over just six days. With a brief respite in sight, their next challenge awaits on Thursday in a matchup against Washington. Sunday’s game also marked the beginning of the Commissioner’s Cup in-season tournament, a competition in which the Liberty reached the final last year before falling to Minnesota. They avenged that disappointment this time by ultimately clinching the WNBA championship.
New York was on the offensive from the start of the game, forging a 31-13 lead by the end of the first quarter, thanks to a collective scoring effort from Stewart, Ionescu, Fiebich, and Jones. The momentum continued into the second quarter, pushing their halftime advantage to 60-28. The Liberty boasted an impressive 68% shooting accuracy in the first half, with twelve successful three-pointers.
Even as their lead ballooned in the third quarter, New York didn’t shy away from challenging a questionable foul call. On a 3-point attempt by Connecticut’s Marina Mabrey, Ionescu was called for a foul, which New York successfully contested. The young guard expressed her delight by high-fiving the coaching staff.
Connecticut struggled to contain the Liberty’s offensive barrage and had Tina Charles and Jacy Sheldon both scoring ten points each as top performers for the team, which now sits at a 1-6 record for the season.