Sabrina Ionescu’s 24 points and four 3-pointers led the way for the New York Liberty, who used a 32-point outburst in the first quarter to keep the visiting Washington Mystics winless with a 90-79 victory on Friday.
Breanna Stewart’s fifth double-double of the season (18 points, 15 rebounds) also helped boost the Liberty (6-2), who won their second straight after two straight losses. Kayla Thornton (20 points) and Jonquel Jones (16 points, 10 rebounds) also eclipsed double digits for New York.
The score was within single digits for the majority of the second half, but after falling behind in the fourth quarter, the Liberty responded with a 12-2 run in the last five minutes of the game. Jones and Thornton each hit a 3-pointer and Stewart scored four points during the run to help New York lock up another win.
Washington’s 0-8 start matches the worst start in franchise history, set by the 2007 club. The team has not won a game since its regular-season finale against the Liberty last season.
Ariel Atkins was one of the few bright spots of the Mystics’ loss. Her team-leading 15 points marked her fifth double-digit performance of the season, while Shakira Austin’s 12-point performance was the only other double-digit output by a Washington starter.
Myisha Hines-Allen and Jade Melbourne both contributed 11 points off the bench, but their efforts were not enough to push the Mystics over the top.
Ionescu scored 15 of her points in the first quarter, helping New York build its initial cushion. She went 3-of-5 from 3-point range, including back-to-back treys with less than 3 minutes to go that helped the Liberty build a 27-10 lead. She then beat the buzzer from 30 feet to end the period for a 32-17 advantage.
The Mystics responded with a 28-point second quarter to draw within 49-45 at the break.
–Field Level Media
