Liberty Rally Falls Short in Chicago Setback
WNBA New York Liberty

Liberty Rally Falls Short in Chicago Setback

Published on August 19, 2026 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


CHICAGO - The New York Liberty (22-15) came back from a 13-point deficit but ultimately fell to the Chicago Sky (14-22), 93-86.

Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block while shooting 61.5 percent (8-for-13) from the field as she passed Brittany Boyd-Jones (504) for ninth on the Liberty's franchise assists list. Stewart reached 3,000 points with the Liberty, becoming the fastest player in WNBA history to score 3,000 points with a single franchise (145 games). She also became the first player in WNBA history to reach 3,000 points each with multiple franchises. Stewart recorded her 27th consecutive game with at least 10 points and one steal or block, the longest such streak in franchise history, and her 27th straight game with at least 11 points and four rebounds, her longest such streak since her 2023 MVP campaign. This was Stewart's 61st game with multiple steals in a Liberty uniform, tying Crystal Robinson for the sixth-most in franchise history, and she scored at least 20 points for the 72nd time in a Liberty uniform to pass Cappie Pondexter for the second-most 20-point games in franchise history. Stewart added three steals in the fourth quarter to set her season high for steals in a single quarter.

Sabrina Ionescu put up a double-double of 18 points and a season-high 12 assists to go with seven rebounds and a block. She also added a steal for her 200th career takeaway, becoming the eighth player in Liberty franchise history to reach that mark. Ionescu recorded the 16th points/assists double-double of her career, tying Skylar Diggins for the eighth-most in WNBA history and passing Sue Bird and Ticha Penicheiro for the second-most by a player through seven career seasons. This was Ionescu's 16th career game with at least 10 assists, tying Courtney Vandersloot for the second-most in Liberty franchise history, and her 83rd game with at least 15 points and five assists, the most in WNBA history by a player through their first seven seasons. She also tied her season high for assists in a single quarter with four in the first quarter. Her 12 assists were the most she has recorded in a game since July 31, 2022, and this was her 45th career game of at least 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds, which is the fourth-most in WNBA history.

Rebecca Allen scored a season-high 14 points on 50 percent (5-for-10) shooting from the field and 42.9 percent (3-for-7) shooting from deep while picking up five rebounds and two steals. Allen connected on three 3-pointers in the third quarter to tie her season high for made threes in a game and set a new season high for 3-pointers made in a single quarter. She recorded her sixth consecutive game with multiple 3-pointers, extending the longest such streak of her career, and her 84th game with at least one block in a Liberty uniform, the seventh-most in franchise history.

Han Xu led the Liberty's reserves with 12 points and seven rebounds as she tied her season high for rebounds in a game. Han added a block to join Jonquel Jones (2018) as the only players in WNBA history to record 30 3-pointers and 20 blocks off the bench in a single season. This marked Han's first career game recording at least 10 points and three rebounds before halftime. She also joined Elena Baranova (2003) as the only Liberty reserves to record six rebounds, multiple 3-pointers and at least one block off the bench multiple times in a single season.

Pauline Astier contributed eight points and three rebounds while shooting 50 percent (4-for-8) from the field. This was Astier's 27th game shooting at least 50 percent from the field, tying Aliyah Boston for the most such games by a rookie in WNBA history. Marine Johannès added three points and two assists off the bench as she set her new career high for assists in a season with her 83rd of the year.

New York shot 61.1 percent (11-for-18) from the field in the first quarter while dishing out 10 assists to match the team's season high for assists in a single quarter. The Liberty scored 20 paint points in the opening frame and finished the period tied at 24. Chicago took the lead with a 14-3 run from 1:14 in the first to 6:17 in the second. Ionescu tied the score at 32 before the Sky responded with a 9-0 run from 4:31 to 3:56 in the second. New York shot 52.9 percent (18-for-34) from the field but trailed 54-43 at the break. The Liberty scored 30 points in the paint, tied for the team's second-best scoring half in the paint this season, and a season-high 70 percent of the team's points came from inside the paint before halftime.

New York trailed by as many as 13 points before going on an 11-3 run from 7:49 to 5:59 in the third. The Liberty shot 50 percent (8-for-16) from the field in the third but still trailed 74-66 entering the final period. New York closed the gap with an 8-0 run from 0:44 in the third to 7:14 in the fourth. Johannès connected on a 3-pointer to give New York the lead with 2:09 remaining in the fourth, but Chicago held on for a 93-86 win. The Liberty held the Sky to 15.4 percent (2-for-13) shooting from beyond the arc in the second half and finished with 35 rebounds for the team's 32nd game with at least 30 rebounds in 2026.

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