Liberty Offense Clicks in Win at Los Angeles
Published on July 29, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release
LOS ANGELES - The New York Liberty (16-12) set season highs in points, field goals and 3-pointers with a dominant offensive display to earn a 113-109 road win over the Los Angeles Sparks (10-17).
Breanna Stewart led New York with 29 points, four rebounds, seven assists, four steals and three blocks as she became the second player in WNBA history to record such a stat line. Stewart reached 200 steals in a Liberty uniform and recorded her fifth consecutive 20-point game while becoming the first player in franchise history to record at least 15 points and one steal or block in 13 consecutive games. She also connected on a pair of 3-pointers for her fourth consecutive game with multiple made threes, matching the longest streak of her Liberty tenure.
Sabrina Ionescu added 27 points on 55.6 percent (5-for-9) shooting from beyond the arc with seven rebounds and six assists. Ionescu passed Vickie Johnson (1,053) for fifth on the franchise rebounding list and recorded her 32nd career game with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, tying Diana Taurasi for the second-most in WNBA history through a player's first seven seasons. Ionescu connected on multiple 3-pointers for the ninth consecutive game and set her season high for 3-pointers in a single quarter with four in the first. After knocking down three 3-pointers in the final minute on July 22, Ionescu became the second Liberty player in the last 20 seasons to record consecutive quarters with three made 3-pointers each, joining Jonquel Jones (2024).
Stewart and Ionescu combined for 56 points, the duo's highest single-game total of the season, and each scored 20 points in the same game for the 18th time as teammates, the most in franchise history. This marked the third time in franchise history that a pair of teammates each recorded 25 points and five assists, with Stewart and Ionescu doing so for the second time.
The Liberty's reserves outscored the Los Angeles bench 41-19, matching New York's season high for bench points. Rebekah Gardner led the Liberty's reserves with 15 points on 83.3 percent (5-for-6) shooting from the field while adding four assists, marking her highest-scoring game since July 23, 2022. Gardner also made her 100th field goal in a Liberty uniform. Han Xu finished with 13 points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks, and her three 3-pointers set a career high. Han also recorded a career-best +29 plus-minus in the win, tied for the third-highest by a Liberty reserve in franchise history. Marine Fauthoux contributed a career-high 13 points on 66.7 percent (4-for-6) shooting from the field and 75 percent (3-for-4) from long range with three rebounds. Fauthoux scored 10 of those points in the fourth quarter, a career high for a single quarter. This marked the second time in franchise history that three Liberty reserves each scored 13 or more points in a single game.
Jonquel Jones finished with nine points, five rebounds and five assists on 66.7 percent (4-for-6) shooting from the field, tying her season high for assists, and has now made a 3-pointer in 12 consecutive games. Pauline Astier added four points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal while becoming the third Liberty rookie to reach 100 assists. Rebecca Allen set her season high with a pair of steals.
The Sparks began the game on a 9-2 run before New York responded with a 14-6 run to close the quarter with a 36-30 lead. The Liberty connected on seven 3-pointers in the first, matching the team's season high for 3-pointers made in a single quarter, while shooting 60 percent (12-for-20) from the field and 70 percent (7-for-10) from deep in the opening frame. The Liberty's 36 points in the first quarter also tied the team's season high for points in a single quarter. New York remains the only team to shoot 70 percent from 3-point territory on at least 10 attempts in an opening quarter after doing so for the second time this season. The Sparks regained the advantage with a 13-2 run from 7:27 to 4:09 in the second but the Liberty fought back to trail by a single possession at halftime, 56-53. New York made 10 3-pointers to set a season high for made threes in a single half and tie for the second-most made 3-pointers by any team before halftime so far in 2026.
The Liberty went on a 13-3 run from 2:46 to 0:40 in the third to take an 85-84 lead into the final quarter. New York outscored the Sparks 20-8 in the paint while shooting 61.9 percent (13-for-21) from the field in the third. The Liberty opened the fourth on an 8-2 run from 8:59 to 8:02 and shot 69.2 percent (9-for-13) from the field and 80 percent (4-for-5) from deep in the period to close out a 113-109 win.
The Liberty set season highs in points (113), field goals (41) and 3-pointers (17) while shooting a season-best 58.6 percent from the field and 53.1 percent from beyond the arc. New York outscored Los Angeles 18-5 in second-chance points and 48-46 in the paint while holding the Sparks to 21 rebounds, the fewest by any Liberty opponent this season. This was the Liberty's highest scoring total in a game since 2022 and the second-highest scoring total in franchise history. New York's 113 points marked the highest scoring total in a regulation game by a team with a first-year WNBA head coach in league history.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from July 29, 2026
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