“Had to get our lick back,” were the words of now 5x WNBA All-Star Jonquel Jones after the Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx on Tuesday at Barclays Center by the score of 76-67. This was a big game for the New York Liberty, who had already dropped two games to the Lynx this season and were not ready to give up a third.
In a game that saw eight lead changes and eight ties, the Liberty just wanted it more. They attacked the glass for a season-high 45 rebounds. New York scored 11 second-chance points to Minnesota’s 8 and had 10 fast-break points to Minnesota’s 2. New York led by as much as 11 points in the fourth quarter.
After scoring a total of seven points in their first two matchups, Jonquel Jones was aggressive from start and scored 13 points in the first half. The team seemed very intentional in getting her the ball. Her impact on the offensive glass also gave the Liberty extra opportunities in key moments. Jones finished the game with 21 points, 12 rebounds (4 offensive rebounds), and knocked down three three-pointers. This was JJ’s seventh double-double of the season, and the Liberty are 18-0 when she recorded a double-double in her Liberty tenure.
Breanna Stewart (5-20 FG) did not shoot the ball well but stayed aggressive and impacted the game on the glass. She was the first on the floor for every loose ball. I asked Stewie about how she finds a way to impact the game when her shot isn’t going. Stewie said,
“Sometimes, the ball is not gonna go in the basket, but continuing to be aggressive…the way that I try to continue to get myself going is get on the boards, the hustle plays, and still being aggressive no matter what because that’s what my team needs.”
Breanna finished with 17 points and a season-high 17 rebounds to go along with three assists, two steals, and two blocks. This marked her 10th double-double of the season. Stewart became the fourth player in Liberty franchise history to record multiple games of at least 15 rebounds, joining Tina Charles, Kiah Stokes, and Jonquel Jones.
The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month for June, Sabrina Ionescu, finished the game with 17 points, five assists, and five rebounds. Sab knocked down one three-pointer to extend her streak of regular-season games with at least one made three-pointer to 45, a Liberty franchise record. Ionescu was still visibly under the weather with illness but emphasized the importance of this game in particular. She said,
“No matter how I felt, I was gonna leave everything out on the floor to want to come out here and win.”
The team’s defensive efforts in the second half held the Lynx to just 25 points. The Lynx failed to touch double figures in the final quarter, scoring only eight points. This was Minnesota’s first single-digit quarter of the season. The Liberty also went on a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter to seal the game. New York set a season high with 45 rebounds in the win over Minnesota.
The New York Liberty are off to the team’s best start through 20 games in franchise history, at 17-3, for the number one seed in the WNBA.
Up Next: The New York Liberty will face the Indiana Fever on Saturday, July 6 at 1:00 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
KEY RUNS
Q1: Minnesota went on an 11-2 run from the 3:21 mark of the first to the 0:37 mark of the first quarter.
Q2: New York went on a 10-0 run from the 3:08 mark of the second to the 0:40 mark of the second quarter.
Q3: No significant runs in the third quarter.
Q4: New York went on a 15-0 run from the 6:37 mark of the fourth to the 0:50 mark of the final quarter.