On Friday night, the New York Liberty emerged victorious over the Washington Mystics with a score of 90-79. Sabrina Ionescu led the scoring for the Liberty with 24 points, while Kayla Thornton added 20. Breanna Stewart contributed 18 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists to the win, and Jonquel Jones scored 16. Every New York starter played at least 30 minutes, combining to score 86 points in total.
The game was closely contested throughout, with both teams trading leads. However, a technical foul against the Mystics for a delay of game gave New York the lead for good in the closing minutes. Washington went over two minutes without scoring, while New York added a couple of 3-pointers and converted six free throws to secure the win.
Ariel Atkins scored 15 points for the Washington Mystics, who remain winless with a record of 0-8. Shakira Austin and Myisha Hines-Allen also contributed 12 and 11 points respectively. A three-pointer by Thornton gave the Liberty their largest lead in the third quarter, but a late surge by the Mystics closed the gap before heading into the final period trailing by three.
At halftime, the Liberty led 49-45 after a strong first quarter where they shot 11 of 19 from the field and scored 32 points. Ionescu had a standout performance in the first quarter, scoring