The New York Liberty (16-3) defeated the Atlanta Dream (7-10), 81-75, in front of a sold-out crowd at Barclays Center on Sunday. On a day dedicated to Sneaker Heads, the Liberty were back home at Barclays Center after having to play their Commissioner’s Cup championship game at UBS Arena this past Tuesday. The New York Liberty moved to 16-3, which is the team’s best start through 19 games in the history of the franchise.
They got off to a slow start and trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half. It was a 9-0 run in the 2nd quarter that allowed them to keep the game close going into the half. The Liberty outscored the Dream in quarters two, three, and four. The 16-point comeback was the largest comeback victory for the Liberty, and any WNBA team this season.
The Liberty play much better when they move the ball and get each other involved as they did last season, where they assisted on a historic 75% of made baskets. New York has recorded at least 25 assists in five consecutive games, tying the longest active streak in WNBA history.
Courtney Vandersloot was back in the starting lineup for the first time since the passing of her mother, Jan Vandersloot. Courtney was showered with a “SLOOOOOOT” and a roaring ovation from the crowd. Courtney, also known as the General, finished the game with 7 points, 7 assists, and great defensive play. Coach Brondello on having Courtney back in the lineup: “It was great to have Slooty back on the floor -- seven points, seven assists, zero turnovers -- [but defensively], we loved her activity."
Sloot also became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 2,750 assists for her career. She did it in 407 games and joined Sue Bird (496 games) as the only two players in WNBA history to record at least 2,750 career assists.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty offense with 22 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block. Stewie became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points. She hit this achievement in 242 games, passing Diana Taurasi (243). Stewart also passed Rebekkah Brunson for the ninth-most double-doubles in WNBA history with 83 for her career.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton also had a big game. She finished the game with 18 points on 50% (6-12) shooting from the field to go along with six assists and five rebounds. Laney-Hamilton has been rebounding and getting her teammates involved exceptionally well. She has recorded at least 3 assists in her last eight games. Against the Dream, she tied her career high with four three-pointers on 67% (4-6) shooting from beyond the arc.
This game is another example of this team’s depth. On a day where the tandem of Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu was unable to get things going offensively, the team was still able to pull out a comeback win. Sabrina finished the game with only 10 points, four assists, and four rebounds. Sab was still able to extend her longest active streak of at least one three-pointer made to 44. Sabrina was visibly under the weather post-game but stated, “If I can walk, I can play.” She spoke of the fans who came there to see her and was not going to sit this one out.
Jonquel Jones only shot the ball five times. JJ finished with 5 points and four rebounds. Leonie Fiebich led the bench production with 12 points and saw crucial minutes in the final frame. She scored 9 points in the fourth quarter to help secure the win. Fiebich has recorded at least one steal in her last eight games to pass Angel Reese for the second-longest steals streak among 2024 rookies. Fiebich also joined Caitlin Clark as the only two rookies to record at least 10 points, three steals, and two three-pointers in a single game this season.
Up Next: The New York Liberty will face the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday, July 2 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Barclays Center. A matchup of the number one offense versus the number one defense.
They have lost twice to the Lynx so far, one regular season matchup and the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.