Playoff-bound Liberty back at Barclays

Return from Olympics, clinch spot with win in Vegas

August 20, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Sabrina Ionescu and the Liberty picked up where they left off following the Olympics, wrapping up a WNBA playoff spot in Las Vegas. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

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There has been no post-Olympic hangover for the league-leading New York Liberty.

Instead, they became the first WNBA team to call themselves playoff-bound in 2024 over the weekend.

Now, they’re Brooklyn-bound for the first time in over a month.

That extended hiatus and New York’s six-game winning streak should have Downtown’s Barclays Center in full throat and capacity Tuesday night when the Dallas Wings (6-20) visit for the opener of a two-game series.

“We did our job. We won a gold medal and did something really special,” Liberty forward Breanna Stewart said of her time in Paris, which resulted in her third straight gold medal while Team USA won its eighth in a row.

Sabrina Ionescu experienced her first visit to the top of the podium during the 2024 Summer Games.

But the dynamic duo didn’t use their busy schedule overseas while most of their teammates rested as a reason to slow down once they got stateside.

Stewart scored 27 points in last Thursday’s 103-68 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers and Ionescu added 23 in Saturday’s 79-67 triumph in Las Vegas over the two-time defending WNBA champion Aces.

The back-to-back post-Olympic victories gave New York (23-4) its fourth consecutive playoff berth as well as a 3 1/2 game cushion over second-place Connecticut for the top overall seed in the postseason.

“This second half of the season is really important. And there’s no excuses,” added Stewart, who put up 18 points and seven rebounds in Vegas.

“Nobody cares if we just came off the Olympics and have a game four days later and a nine-hour time zone change. When you think about it, it’s a little bit wild.”

All-Star forward Jonquel Jones grabbed 17 rebounds in Saturday’s win over the Aces in a rematch of last year’s WNBA Finals. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

Ionescu finished 9-of-21 from the floor, including a trio of 3-pointers, on Saturday. She also grabbed six rebounds and handed out three assists.

“We’re super-excited to clinch a spot in the playoffs,” said the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

“Obviously, our goal isn’t to just make it there, but it’s going to be continuing to win these games that we have coming up.”

Stewart, the reigning WNBA MVP, and Ionescu, New York’s assists leader with 6.0 per contest, weren’t the only members of the Liberty to make an impact in the team’s second win in as many visits to Sin City this year.

All-Star power forward Jonquel Jones helped New York to a whopping 46-30 rebounding advantage and grabbed seven of the Liberty’s season-high 13 offensive boards en route to 17 caroms overall.

“Sometimes that’s our best offense,” Ionescu said of Jones’ rebounding prowess. “Knowing we can keep the floor spaced, and knowing that if we do miss she does clean it up almost every single time.”

Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, who guided Australia to a gold medal in Paris, isn’t interested in getting too heady about wrapping up a playoff spot.

She clinched her 12th postseason berth in as many years as a coach in the league, but is more concerned that New York wins its first-ever title.

Brondello coached Phoenix to the WNBA crown a decade ago, but hasn’t been able to grab a championship since, despite leading the Liberty to their first Finals berth since 2002 a year ago.

“I’ve been in these situations a lot,” she said. “[My teams] haven’t always clinched this early in the season.
“We’ve had to grind it out. I’ve had great teams over the years, and they’ve always bought in. That makes my job and my coaching staff’s job much easier.”

Judging from Ionescu’s demeanor following the Liberty’s impressive return from the Olympics, she is heeding her coach’s advice regarding early clinchings.

“Obviously we’re not done yet,” she insisted. “We’re trying to bring a championship back to New York.”

That quest continues here on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Fresh off helping Germany to the quarterfinals of the 2024 Paris Games, Liberty forward Leonie Fiebich is filling in quite capably for injured starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

GIVE ME LIBERTY: Stewart, Ionescu and Brondello weren’t the only ones shaking off jet lag from Paris last weekend. Team Germany standouts Leonie Fiebich and Nyara Sabally were also back to their WNBA duties with the Liberty. Fiebich, who has been starting in place of injured forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, had 12 points and seven rebounds against the Aces. Sabally, who had 20 points in Germany’s quarterfinal loss two weeks ago, had six points, a team-high nine rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes off the bench against L.A. last Thursday. … Laney, who has been out since July while recovering from surgery on her right knee, isn’t expected back until later this month at the earliest or in September. … The Liberty will conclude their two-game set with the Wings here Thursday at 7 p.m. New York will wrap up its three-game stand Saturday vs. Connecticut. Dallas suffered a 109-91 loss to the visiting Sun on Friday in their return from the Olympic break. Satou Sabally, Nyara’s sister, made her season debut for Dallas after missing the season’s first 25 games with a shoulder injury. She had 20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals against Connecticut, and should be eager to help the Wings climb back into the playoff race. Dallas will enter Tuesday’s game 4 1/2 games behind Chicago for the final postseason spot.