Liberty 110, Dream 80: There’s levels to this
The Seafoam washed up over the Dream with a blowout win that shows how far the franchise has come — from the beginning of this season and the beginning of the WNBA itself
The last time the New York Liberty were down in Atlanta, Sabrina Ionescu dropped a career-high 37 points. This time around, the Seafoam squad was more balanced.
Six players scored in double figures: Betnijah Laney led the team with 19, Jonquel Jones posted a near double-double with 18 and 9, Marine Johannés added 18, Courtney Vandersloot had 16 with 11 assists, Breanna Stewart put up 13 and 11 and Kayla Thorton added 10. Laney made four 3-pointers and Johannés added five, a monster offensive performance from two players who haven’t gotten enough touches this season because there isn’t enough ball to go around.
This dominant performance notes that the Liberty, and the WNBA, have come a long way since their debut. 26 years ago, the Liberty won the first-ever WNBA game, as Rebecca Lobo and Theresa Weatherspoon pushed them past Lisa Leslie and the L.A Sparks, 67-57. (Ed. note: In 1946 the Knicks won the first-ever men’s pro game!) This wasn’t the first women’s professional basketball league, but it was the first time they were backed by the NBA. The year before, the Olympics brought in overwhelming viewership for women’s hoops, with the 1996 USA Women’s Basketball team going for gold after an undefeated run, including 52 straight wins under their belt before even walking into Olympic Village. This Dream Team brought home gold and a renewed national fandom, leading the NBA to follow through and create the WNBA.
Penny Toler, who scored the first point in that first WNBA game, said this about the day:
“ . . . another thing I remember is the fans being so excited and passionate. Some people were even crying. And also, I remember that the players seemed very nervous. It was not a well-played game. But we had a monster rating for the game, so clearly the advertising and promotion had gotten through, because the viewership was very high.”
“It was not a well-played game” rings in my head as I think about the WNBA, and the Liberty now. With their star-studded roster and core pieces, they play a level of basketball that could be studied for generations.
