A dominant second half fueled the Liberty to a second consecutive win, this time over the Wings 

Breanna Stewart is unreal. Sabrina Ionescu is well on her way. And together, the two combined for 54 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 102-93 Sunday afternoon victory over the Dallas Wings, a second straight win for the 6-2 New York Liberty. Eight games into the season, I’m still increasingly unsure what to expect from them game to game, as the aspiring superteam is still finding their footing as a unit in real time. The challenge has been as advertised for head coach Sandy Brondello, with a starting five featuring four new faces and a reserve unit largely unfamiliar. Did I mention it’s only her second season with the club?

New York’s wins have been articulate, their losses rather abstract: images comprehensible, though perhaps not meant to be evaluated as strictly as black and white. Sunday against the Wings was, fortunately, the former: a detailed rendering of success sparked by a tone-setting first few minutes for the Liberty, who opened on a 7-2 run. Stewart was everywhere, prompting commentators to compare her hands to candle snuffers.

Dallas, who reign as the league’s best offensive rebounding team, put their major strength to work, finding one second opportunity after another to take a 25-23 lead after one. 

In the second quarter it was once again New York who came out as the aggressor, opening with another 7-2 run to retake the lead before the Wings countered with an 12-0 run of their own,  forcing a Liberty timeout. Then Marine Johannés happened. 

She hit back-to-back threes out of the timeout and found Stewart cutting down the lane for a third basket, steadying a ship that would arrive at halftime down just 51-45. All this time, Ionescu had been quiet, finishing the half with just one make in six attempts – this following a night where she had a career-high 37 points and eight threes. That version of the Liberty guard is who showed up for half number two against Dallas, opening with a fancy finish at the rim and assist to Stewart on a deep three. 

Ionescu and Stewart each finished with 13 points in the third while New York scored 34 and held the Wings to just 17, all but securing back-to-back wins. The 11-point Liberty lead going into the final frame never fell fewer than 8. Final score: 102-93, good guys. 

Notes

• In their combined effort, Ionescu and Stewart led the Liberty to a second consecutive 100-point outing, the first in franchise history. Look for this statistic to resurface, and soon, with the way the offense flows, spearheaded by Courtney Vandersloot and Johannés as lead guards, the latter of whom warrants discussion. 

  Johannés has played just four games with this New York team after finishing up her international club season at Lyon Asvel Feminin. It’s possible she’s the most in-game shape of all the Liberty. Constantly, Johannés passes are arriving just a split second before her teammates. She’s seeing the game at a tempo that isn’t yet consistent for her team. Her two assists per game average is nowhere near reflective of the amount of times her teammates are in position to score by way of one of her passes. Still, no need to trip over a dollar to land a dime. All in time, all in time.

• I see a successful formula in Dallas, with offensive rebounds and pace the bread and butter. What that strategy doesn’t account for are the nights where your best players aren’t in rhythm. No one player on the Wings gave New York fits on Sunday, outside of Arike Ogunbowale’s 13 points in the first quarter; even there, the Liberty adjusted, with Ogunbowale netting just 12 over the next three quarters. 

• Back to Ionescu and Stewart, who in back-to-back games have each produced both a 20- and 30-point outing. It’s been a phenomenal watch. 

• Jonquel Jones, while not still not herself, quietly had one of her best games in a New York uniform: eight points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 26 minutes. Her defense remains reliant and her shot selection hasn’t reflected that of someone working back to form. Actions like these will become staples to the Liberty offense once Jones is ready.

• Betnijah Laney may never be properly rated. I can’t fully advocate for her place as most underrated in the league until I gather more data, but I trust that when I do I’ll find some sort of flame beneath the smoke. She’s pioneering the fundamental foundation that New York’s stars rely on, and all the same effectively guarding the opposing team’s best player – effectively – nightly. 

• Has their ever been a quieter 15-point, 10-assist performance than Vandersloot’s Sunday? She played within the game, orchestrating a historic offensive outing behind the scenes, yet somehow simultaneously center stage. A perfect complement to the Liberty’s stars.

Respect Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu as stars in their own right, fully capable and successful as individuals. But those two are now a tandem with the New York Liberty, and if Sunday’s showing is any indicator, together they may go even further.