BREAK: Sabrina Liberty first defeat deal
Sabrina Ionescu contributed 24 points and achieved a significant milestone as the New York Liberty, playing as visitors, delivered the first defeat of the season to the Connecticut Sun with a score of 82-75. The game, featuring the WNBA teams with the best records, took place on Saturday afternoon in Uncasville, Conn. Jonquel Jones added 22 points to the Liberty’s tally, with Breanna Stewart and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton contributing 13 and 10 points respectively.
The Liberty, with a record of 10-2, closed the game with six unanswered points and maintained a shooting percentage of 51.7% from the field. The Sun, with a record of 9-1, had equaled the fourth-best start to a season without a loss in WNBA history. DeWanna Bonner led the Sun with 16 points, supported by Brionna Jones with 13 points, DiJonai Carrington and reserve player Tiffany Mitchell with 12 points each, and Tyasha Harris with 11 points. Alyssa Thomas contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds. Notably, Ionescu achieved the milestone of 300 successful 3-point shots faster than any other player in WNBA history, accomplishing this in her 117th career game. Although she only made 2 out of 6 attempts from long range on Saturday. The Sun struggled from the 3-point line, making only 4 out of 16 attempts, while the Liberty performed better, making 9 out of 25 attempts from beyond the arc. Connecticut managed to narrow the score to 74-72 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation, but New York ultimately secured the victory. Despite the Sun briefly taking a lead of 76-75, the Liberty responded swiftly to regain control. Although Connecticut surged to a 62-57 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Liberty bounced back, scoring seven consecutive points and never relinquishing the lead again.
The game remained tight throughout, with the Sun previously winning four games, including one in overtime, by a margin of four points or fewer. However, they couldn’t replicate that success this time. The Liberty established a 12-point advantage in the first quarter, but the Sun mounted a comeback, resulting in a tied score of 39-39 at halftime.