LOS ANGELES — Brianna Stewart sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key on Tuesday, following it up with a high five that echoed in the stands at Crypto.com Arena.
With Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu leading the charge, the Liberty managed to keep the Sparks quiet for a while.
Stewart’s shot with 3:33 to go in the fourth quarter capped off a 12-4 run for the Liberty, giving them an 11-point lead—a significant moment in the game.
But, you never really feel secure with this team.
Los Angeles quickly responded with seven straight points, narrowing the gap to just four.
The Sparks successfully challenged a call that would have sent Stewart to the free-throw line, leading to a jump ball instead. After that, Stewart drove in and passed it out to Rebecca Allen, who responded with a crucial corner 3.
Even after trailing by nine, the Liberty pushed back hard, ultimately defeating the Kelsey Plum-less Sparks with a score of 113-109.
“We had a chat in the locker room and knew this was a fresh start for the second half of the season,” Stewart mentioned. “We focused on playing the game, taking open shots, and finding our teammates.”
Stewart was a standout in this match, leading the Liberty with 29 points and seven assists. Ionescu wasn’t far behind, contributing 27 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
This marks only the third instance in franchise history where two teammates each scored 25 points and had five assists in a single game, the previous occurrence being Stewart and Ionescu in 2024.
The Liberty also received significant support from their bench, outscoring the Sparks’ reserves 41-19.
Rebecca Gardner, hailing from Southern California, came off the bench to score 15 points, while development player Marine Fortu had an impressive fourth quarter, adding 10 out of her 13 total points.
This game felt like a bit of payback for the Liberty, especially after their earlier visit to Los Angeles.
In a match back in late June, New York had squandered a 17-point lead and lost on a buzzer-beater from Nneka Ogwumike. That defeat marked the start of a challenging streak, with the Liberty losing eight out of ten games, the toughest stretch in the “superteam” era of the franchise.
Heading into the All-Star break, New York managed to win two back-to-back one-point games, and Ionescu seemed to regain her form after missing most of the first section of the season due to injury.
What have the Liberty picked up from their recent trio of wins?
“What our team has learned is the importance of resilience,” Stewart commented. “We keep pushing through the highs, lows, and the unexpected, which is exactly what we did today. We fell behind, bounced back, and even though they hit some threes, we held strong. We understand the need to make critical plays.”
