Breanna Stewart put on a stellar performance, scoring a season-high 33 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, leading the New York Liberty to a convincing 88-75 victory over the Chicago Sky on Tuesday night. The game took a dramatic turn in the fourth quarter when the Sky’s rookie, Angel Reese, was ejected after receiving two technical fouls for a brief altercation with an official. Despite the loss of Reese, the Liberty maintained their momentum, with Sabrina Ionescu contributing 24 points to secure their fourth consecutive win.
In the opening of the game, New York dominated with a 21-6 run, sinking five of their first seven 3-pointers. Meanwhile, Chicago struggled, starting off with a 3-of-16 shooting from the field. However, the Sky fought back in the second quarter, scoring 33 points and narrowing the gap to 49-48 at halftime.
New York didn’t let up and started the fourth quarter with a commanding 15-2 run, including 10 consecutive points, to increase their lead to 80-68. Both Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu contributed six points each in this quarter. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton also played a crucial role, adding 14 points for New York (8-2), seeking revenge for their earlier 90-81 loss to Chicago on May 23. Jonquel Jones, who had remained scoreless until late in the third quarter, ended with five points and 12 rebounds.
On the other side, Chicago (3-5) saw rookie Chennedy Carter shine with 16 points, while Reese contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. Marina Mabrey added 15 points and Elizabeth Williams had 10 points and eight rebounds. Unfortunately, Kamilla Cardoso, who had impressed in her WNBA debut on Saturday with 11 points, was limited to just one point in 12 minutes of play.