Liberty Secures Win Over Portland Fire
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Liberty wrapped up a four-game series with a decisive 100-82 victory against the Portland Fire on Thursday night.
Despite an underwhelming first half, New York made a strong comeback. Brianna Stewart’s performance in the third quarter was pivotal, pushing the Liberty to secure their win.
The 10 minutes after halftime offered a glimmer of hope. Up until that point, a concerning pattern had emerged in Liberty’s initial games this season.
Much like last season, New York faced challenges during the third quarter. It seems this issue has lingered into the current campaign.
Stewart emphasized the team’s need to tackle this problem head-on, and she was determined to lead the effort. “When you’re in the lead, the other team is going to come out aggressive, and that’s on me,” she mentioned, reflecting on a previous loss against the Fire. “I’ll make sure the rest of the team is prepared because… we’ve faced this before, and it’s important we address it.”
True to her word, Stewart took charge during the third quarter, contributing 11 of her team-high 22 points.
Rookie Pauline Astier also shone, adding seven of her 20 points in that period, marking a strong start to her WNBA journey.
With a 70-53 lead after three quarters, Liberty maintained control for the remainder of the game.
New York, recovering from their earlier defeat which resulted in the Fire’s first-ever win, was expected to come out strong, as noted by Fire coach Alex Samara. However, the start didn’t showcase that level of urgency.
Liberty struggled right from the beginning: unwarranted turnovers, hesitance in their attack, and missed opportunities characterized their early gameplay.
They managed only 14 points in the first quarter, their lowest output this season, trailing by six points. The absence of Sabrina Ionescu emphasized the team’s struggles, as her organization on the court would have been beneficial.
Ionescu was present on the sidelines, listening in as the game unfolded, though her impact was felt only partially.
As the second quarter began, the Fire extended their lead to as much as nine points. Yet, Liberty gradually found their rhythm and clawed back, making 6 of 14 deep shots in the second quarter after a poor start.
They went into halftime with a narrow lead of 39-37, then accelerated in the third quarter and never looked back.
A remarkable 30 out of Liberty’s 32 field goals were assisted, showcasing their teamwork, with Marin Johannes achieving a career-high 11 assists. Jonquel Jones contributed six points, nine rebounds, and three assists, while newcomer Alex Fowler added a solid 12 points off the bench.
After a grueling start to the season, Liberty now has a week to regroup, with hopes that Ionescu (left foot) and Sato Sabally (cyst) may return when they face the Golden State Valkyries on May 21. Additionally, they could bring in further reinforcements as Leonie Fievic and Raquel Carrera are close to securing a title in the Spanish league.
