Stewart's Game-Winning Rally
Breanna Stewart's 30 Points Drive Liberty's Rally Past Fever for Fourth Straight Win
Breanna Stewart scored 30 points and made 11 of 12 free throws in a clutch fourth-quarter stretch to lift the New York Liberty past the Indiana Fever 83-75 on Saturday night, according to Associated Press. The Liberty trailed by 12 points in the third quarter before going on a 19-4 run to steal the win at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The victory gives New York four wins in a row and moves them to the top of the Eastern Conference standings in Commissioner's Cup play, per WNBA. The win came without star guard Sabrina Ionescu, who sat out with back soreness.
Stewart Carries Liberty With Free-Throw Dominance
Stewart was nearly unstoppable at the free-throw line. She finished 18-of-21 from the stripe for the night, per Yahoo Sports. During the game-deciding 19-4 run in the final five minutes, she hit 11 of 12 free throws. Her go-ahead free throws at the 3:36 mark gave New York its first late lead at 70-68.
The Liberty shot 33-of-40 (82.5%) from the free-throw line overall. Indiana shot just 9-of-15. New York had a +25 advantage in free throw attempts, according to Covers.com. That edge more than made up for an ugly shooting night from deep — the Liberty went just 2-for-18 (11%) from three-point range.
Indiana Led by 12 Before Liberty Erased the Deficit
The Fever looked in control for most of the night. Indiana led 40-31 with under two minutes left in the first half. They pushed the lead to 12 in the third quarter, at 57-45, with just over three minutes left in the period, per WV News.
Then the Liberty's momentum shifted. New York closed the third quarter on a 10-0 run. Indiana's Aliyah Boston was hit with a technical foul at the buzzer, letting Stewart hit a free throw to start the fourth quarter down just two. Rookie Pauline Astier, starting in place of Ionescu, sealed the win with two straight layups in the final minute.
Caitlin Clark Struggles as Fever Fall to .500
Indiana's Caitlin Clark had a rough night shooting. She finished with 10 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds but hit only 3 of 11 shots from the field. Clark is coming off a recent illness and a prior game where she shot 4-for-19. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 21 points. Aliyah Boston added 13 points and 9 rebounds.
Clark pushed back on mounting concern around the team. "I'm gonna say this in the nicest way possible... hopefully it makes a lot of people just be quiet... the sky's not falling," she said, per The Hour. The loss drops Indiana to 5-5 on the season. The Fever travel to Washington to face the Mystics on Monday.
Ionescu Sidelined Again as Liberty Find Their Footing
Ionescu has now missed most of the season. She sat out the first five games with a foot injury, played once on May 24, and has been out since with back issues, per LMT Online. Friday's practice was the first time the full Liberty roster had been together all season — but Ionescu's soreness flared up overnight and she was ruled out before tip-off.
Coach Chris DeMarco, in his first season leading the Liberty, praised his team's composure. "One thing I love about this team in general is that we don't play a lot of hero ball... We've been working on being really intentional," he said, per Winnipeg Free Press. Stewart echoed that tone: "We're definitely getting a good flow and chemistry, especially with the starting group." New York heads to Connecticut to face the Sun on Monday night.
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