On Sunday, September 22, the New York Liberty kicked off the first game of the 2024 WNBA playoffs with a thrilling matchup against the Atlanta Dream. The Liberty (1-0) emerged victorious, defeating the Dream (0-1) 83-69, securing a 1-0 lead in the first round of the postseason.
Just a few days after announcing a collaboration with the late Virgil Abloh’s esteemed clothing brand, OFF-WHITE™️, each Liberty player arrived in style, wearing custom, co-branded varsity jackets. Even Liberty Head Coach Sandy Brondello and mascot Ellie the Elephant sported custom Off-White outfits, adding an extra layer of excitement to the game day atmosphere.
The energy at Barclays Center was electric. Fans were pumped and ready to support their team in their quest for their first-ever championship. Arena MC, Ria, got the crowd going with the new “We All We Got, We All We Need” chant as the players walked through the tunnel to warm up.
Before tip-off, the Liberty debuted a new hype video titled “They’re Going to Love it Here,” narrated by New York’s very own Alicia Keys. The video celebrated the strong, gritty nature of New Yorkers and the Liberty, highlighting the unmatched atmosphere at Barclays Center.
(Credit: NY Liberty)
In a surprising twist to the starting lineup seen over the last two seasons, Coach Sandy started rookie Leonie Fiebich over veteran Courtney Vandersloot. The team had a 12-2 record in the regular season when Leonie started, proving her as a key piece in Brondello’s rotation.
Courtney had this to say about the lineup change, “It’s never a good feeling to go from a starter to the bench, but when I say I want what’s best for the group — it was a smart and efficient change.”
Leonie Fiebich's first playoff start turned into a career night. Named to the AP All-Rookie Team, she led the Liberty offense with a career-high 21 points on 88% (7-8) shooting from the field and 100% (4-4) from deep.
In the first half alone, Leonie scored 15 points on 100% (5-5) shooting, setting a new WNBA record for most points scored without a miss in the first half of a postseason game among players with at least one three-point attempt. She tied Breanna Stewart and Angel McCoughtry for the third-most points by a rookie in their first postseason half.
She became the first rookie in WNBA history to make at least four three-pointers in a playoff game without missing. Leonie tied the Liberty franchise record for most consecutive field goals made to start a playoff game and recorded a +25 plus-minus, tying Lindsay Whalen for the fourth-best plus-minus by a rookie in a single playoff game.
Coach Brondello praised Leonie's performance post-game, stating, "Leo had a great game. We raved about her contributions all season long. It’s a no-brainer but she always stays ready. Regardless start or coming off the bench, she is always locked in."
On the ESPN broadcast, Monica McNutt was thrilled by Leo's play and asked, “How do you say 'on fire' in German?”. This prompted my curiosity to ask this question post game. Leo replied, "I don’t think we have that, we just know. We say that in English. In basketball, we use a lot of English words, so on fire would work."
When asked about her first shots falling, Leonie said, "I try to live in the moment. I was just happy we moved the ball and my teammates found me. They're leaving me open because they've got to guard everybody else on my team -- we've got great players -- so I just took advantage of that."
(Leo Post Game)
The Liberty set a franchise record by making 73% of their field goals in the first quarter of a playoff game.
Breanna Stewart finished with a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds, adding three assists, three blocks, and two steals. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month recorded her sixth double-double in a Liberty uniform, passing Tari Phillips for the second-most postseason double-doubles in Liberty history.
This marked Stewart’s first career playoff game with at least 15 points, 10 rebounds, and five stocks (steals + blocks), and her 25th career 20-point game in the playoffs, tying Candace Parker and Tamika Catchings for third-most in WNBA postseason history. Stewart tied Angel McCoughtry for the longest streak of consecutive double-digit scoring performances in WNBA postseason history with her 33rd consecutive playoff game with at least 10 points.
The historic performances did not stop there. Courtney Vandersloot became the WNBA’s all-time leader in playoff assists with her 365th career postseason assist at 4:88 of the fourth quarter with a steal then a dime to Breanna Stewart. Sloot’s third assist of the game was the assist that passed Sue Bird. The General finished with four points, three rebounds, and three assists, along with two steals.
Breanna Stewart had this to say about the record-breaking assist, “It was cool she was able to become the all-time leading assister... and what's even cooler is that I was able to score that."
Reflecting on her achievement, with Sue in attendance. Sloot said, “it’s great, she’s been so supportive of me and my career, and you know it’s tough to chase Sue. Big shoes to fill, she is amazing, she is a winner. She has a lot of playoff assists because she wins championships. For her to be in the building it’s pretty special”
(Sloot Post Game)
Other player notables included:
(Per Post Game Notes)
- Sabrina Ionescu: Recorded 17 points, five assists, and five rebounds while making one three-pointer to extend her streak of playoff games with at least one made three-pointer to 15, passing Crystal Robinson. Sabrina led all scorers with 12 points in the opening period.
- Betnijah Laney-Hamilton: Scored 10 points on 50% (5-10) shooting and tied for the game-high with five assists. She passed Cappie Pondexter for sixth on the Liberty’s all-time playoff scoring list and moved into the top five for most field goals made in the postseason.
- Jonquel Jones: Finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Jonquel made her first three shots from the field and shot 100% (3-3) from the free-throw line.
Up Next, the Liberty will face the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, September 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center.
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