Liberty Avenges First Loss
Published on May 15, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release
PORTLAND, Ore. - The New York Liberty (3-1) pulled away from the Portland Fire (1-2) for a 100-82 win on the road while becoming the first team in WNBA history to average at least 100 points through the first four games of a season.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points on 57.1 percent (8-for-14) shooting from the field while grabbing seven rebounds. Stewart has scored 92 points so far this season, her highest combined scoring total through four games since the 2023 season, when she went on to win her second MVP award.
Pauline Astier recorded 20 points on 58.3 percent (7-for-12) shooting from the field and 50 percent (3-for-6) shooting from deep for her second consecutive 20-point performance as she became the first Liberty rookie to score 60 points in any three-game span since 1997 (Sophia Witherspoon). Astier has totaled 67 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists through her first four games to join Candace Parker, Tamika Catchings and Caitlin Clark as the only rookies in WNBA history to reach those marks within their first four WNBA games. She also joined Aliyah Boston as the only rookies in the past 20 seasons to score 60 points while shooting over 60 percent from the field through four career games, and became the first rookie since 2016 Breanna Stewart to record three consecutive games of at least 18 points and a 58 percent field-goal percentage while attempting multiple 3-pointers each game.
Marine Johannès set career highs with 11 assists and a +31 plus-minus while passing Cathrine Kraayeveld for the ninth-most made 3-pointers in Liberty franchise history (216). She also grabbed a pair of steals to join Teresa Weatherspoon as the only players in Liberty franchise history to begin a season with four consecutive multi-steal games. Rebekah Gardner led the Liberty's reserves with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench while shooting 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from the field and 50 percent (2-for-4) from long range. Gardner became the first Liberty reserve to record at least 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in a single game since 2019 (Johannès).
Alex Fowler made her WNBA debut and finished with 12 points on 57.1 percent (4-for-7) shooting from the field and 50 percent (2-for-4) shooting from deep to become the first player in WNBA history to reach double figures in scoring while playing on a developmental player contract. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton connected on her 200th career 3-pointer and knocked down her 150th 3-pointer with the Liberty as she shot 50 percent (3-for-6) from the field and finished with eight points. Jonquel Jones added six points, three assists and a game-high nine rebounds, while Julie Vanloo pitched in with nine points and four assists on 60 percent (3-for-5) shooting from 3-point territory.
The Liberty forced seven Portland turnovers in the first quarter, including four steals, but trailed 20-14 after the opening frame. New York trailed by as many as nine points in the second quarter before using an 11-0 run from 6:59 to 5:17 to regain the lead. The Liberty defense held Portland scoreless for a stretch of more than three minutes in the second and forced 11 Fire turnovers before the break, tied for the second-most by any team in a single first half so far in 2026. Laney-Hamilton made a layup with 2.4 seconds remaining in the first half to give New York a 39-37 lead at halftime. New York took control in the second half with a 10-0 run from 5:03 to 3:11 in the third quarter. The Liberty entered the final frame with a 70-53 lead and held off Portland in the fourth to close out a 100-82 win.
The 2026 Liberty set a WNBA record for combined points through the first four games of a season (400) and became the first team in franchise history to score at least 95 points in any four consecutive games. New York dished out 32 assists, tied for the third-highest single-game assists total in franchise history, and became the first team in franchise history to shoot over 50 percent from the field through the first four games of a season (50.9 percent). The Liberty scored 61 points in the second half to become the second team in WNBA history to begin a season with a 50-point half in each of the first four games.
LIBERTY 100 | FIRE 82
NEW YORK (3-1) | PORTLAND (1-2)
May 14, 2026
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 FINAL
LIBERTY 14 25 31 30 100
FIRE 20 17 16 29 82
GAME LEADERS NEW YORK PORTLAND
POINTS Stewart (22) Gustafson (14)
REBOUNDS Jones (9) Geiselsoder/Carleton (5)
ASSISTS Johannès (11) Sutton (8)
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