Liberty pass the ‘Wings’ in Dallas

New York dishes out season-high 33 assists

September 11, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Sabrina Ionescu (left) used her passing skills to help New York win its 30th game of the year in Dallas Tuesday, pleasing coach Sandy Brondello (right). Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty.

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It’s been a WNBA record 107 games since the New York Liberty handed out less than 15 assists in a single contest.

The league leaders more than doubled that total Tuesday night in Dallas.

Sabrina Ionescu spearheaded the sharing is caring party in front of 5,157 fans at College Park Center, dishing out 11 of the Liberty’s season-high 33 assists in a 105-91 rout of the slumping Wings.

Breanna Stewart scored 27 points, Jonquel Jones poured in 19, Leonie Fiebich had a career high-tying 16 off the bench and Ionescu finished with 14 in the opener of this two-game series.

But they all benefited from each other’s pass-happy nature en route to a fourth consecutive win.

Ionescu went 5-of-9 from the floor, including a quartet of 3-pointers, on a night New York (30-6) moved closer to grabbing the top overall seed in the upcoming playoffs by spreading the wealth.

The first team in league history to win 30 games in back-to-back seasons, the Liberty are still chasing New York’s first-ever title since the WNBA was founded in 1997.

Passing will have a lot to do with New York’s postseason success, as it has all year long, and ever since coach Sandy Brondello showed up in Downtown Brooklyn three years ago.

“So overall, great game. the most (assists) this team has had in a game all season,” Brondello gushed as her team remained four games in front of Minnesota for the No. 1 seed.

“Just making sure that we move the ball, that we’re kind of getting the defense to go from one side to the other,” she added. “And then, you know, Obviously, we shot the three a lot better, too, so that that’s going to help things.”

The Liberty went a blistering 55% from beyond the arc, draining 16-of-29 attempts. But it was mostly due to the deft distribution of Ionescu, who found open teammates throughout the evening.

“I thought she played brilliantly tonight. Just how we wanted (her) to play,” Brondello said of her All-Star guard. “To get 11 assists, that’s what she does. She’s a great facilitator and then made some of her shots too.”

Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart scored 15 of her game-high 27 points in the first quarter Tuesday in Dallas. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

In a game it led by as many as 25 points and never trailed, New York appeared to breath easy after Ionescu drilled a 27-footer with 34 ticks left in the third quarter that opened a 56-42 cushion.

Stewart went 9-of-18 from the field and 6-of-6 at the line for the Liberty, who had three starters finish with at least five assists.

Courtney Vandersloot, who ranks second in league history in career assists, had seven and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, playing despite tweaking her surgically repaired right knee Sunday in Brooklyn. finished with five.

“I think that our shootaround was honestly a little bit different because Sandy paid attention to (passing and ball movement) and honed in on that,” Stewart revealed.

“So just having a little bit better awareness and making sure that we’re not getting stagnant and looking at each other.”

Arike Ogunbowale scored 23 points and former New York forward Natasha Howard added 17 for the Wings (9-27), who lost their fifth straight game and are officially eliminated from playoff contention.

That’s not the case for the Liberty, who can secure home-court advantage throughout the postseason with two wins in their last four games.

Beating the second-place Lynx (27-9) at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon should help, but New York knows it can’t take any game lightly with so much at stake during the regular season’s final week.

That’s why Brondello is making sure the Liberty keep their focus on Dallas, which will host New York again Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.

“I think It’s making sure every game is important,” she insisted. “You know, we talked about getting that number one seed, but playing in the right way all season long.

“We still know we can be better. And that’s our goal as we get through these next four games leading into that first playoff game.”

New York rookie sharp-shooter Leonie Fiebich scored a career high-tying 16 points against the Wings Tuesday in the opener of a two-game set in Dallas. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

GIVE ME LIBERTY: Fiebich knocked down five of her seven shots Tuesday and went 3-of-5 from 3-point range. She has made 14 of her last 19 long-range attempts. The rookie from Germany credits her new teammates with helping her adjust to the WNBA after she played a bigger role overseas and also started for Team Germany at the 2024 Paris Games. “Yeah, I mean, it was pretty clear that my role was going to change to come into this team,” said Fiebich, who is averaging 6.5 points off the bench this year. “But it took me a while to get into the league. And, you know, it’s a bit different out here to get used to everything around. But I just know how my teammates are playing now. I know what we want as a team on offense and defense and just trying to buy into that and do my best as in my role.” … Laney-Hamilton, who was listed as questionable before Tuesday’s series opener, had 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go with two assists and a steal in 21 minutes. “We know that B is pretty tough, and just for her to get through that pain that she’s having right now to be part of our identity and how we want to play, and she dives into that,” Fiebich said of her teammate. “And just seeing her out there on the court and playing with her is just fun.” … Stewart had 15 of her points in the first quarter, nearly outscoring Dallas by herself in the period. The Wings had 18 points through the game’s first 10 minutes.