Breanna Stewart scores 32 points, Sabrina Ionescu adds 25 as Liberty defeat Storm 98-85

Brianna Stewart put on a show in her return to Seattle scoring 32 points and leading the New York Liberty to a hard-fought 98 to 85 victory over the Seattle Storm on Friday night August 30th 2024 in a game filled with momentum swings and standout performances Stuart's Brilliance was complimented by Sabrina yancu who added 25 points as the Liberty secured a crucial win on the road the victory marked a strong finish to the Liberty three-game West Coast road trip during which they had suffered a surprising loss to the last place Los Angeles Sparks with this win New York improved their record to 27 to7 solidifying their position as one of the top teams in the WNBA Stewart who began her career with the storm before joining the Liberty showcased why she remains one of the League's most dominant players she was Unstoppable throughout the game particularly in the second quarter when she scored eight straight points to help the Liberty pull ahead after a tightly contested first quarter that saw seven ties and seven Le changes the Liberty held a narrow 27 to 26 lead at the end of the first period but quickly extended it to double digits early in the second thanks to Stewart's scoring barrage including back-to-back three-pointers despite New York's strong start Seattle refused to go quietly the storm led by Skyler Diggin Smith and juel Lloyd mounted a fierce comeback erasing the Liberties lead and even taking a 44 to 42 Advantage late in the second quarter Seattle closed the half with a 51 to 49 lead marking the most points New York had allowed in a half this season however the Liberty regrouped during the break with the enescu taking charge in the third quarter she scored 12 points in the final 5 and a half minutes of the period helping New York regain the lead at 74 to 71 heading into the final quarter the fourth quarter was where the Liberties dominance on the boards paid off JN quell Jones still battling illness played a crucial role by grabbing 11 rebounds as New York outrebounded Seattle 45 to 17 including a staggering 17 offensive rebounds this rebounding Edge proved vital in a game where turnovers played the Liberty with Seattle converting 18 New York turnovers into 24 points despite the storm's efforts to close the gap coming within six points with under 3 minutes left the Liberty resilience Shone through Leon fibit who contributed 12 points Off the Bench grabbed two crucial offensive rebounds and drained a three-pointer that effectively sealed the game iancu then put the finishing touches on the victory scoring six more points to ensure the Liberty Triumph Skyler Diggin Smith was Seattle's top scorer with 26 points though she was held to just two points in the decisive fourth quarter juel Lloyd added 20 points and NECA auam mik chipped in 15 but it wasn't enough to overcome the Liberty's balanced attack and dominance on the boards Seattle's loss dropped them to 19 to 12 placing them in a tie with the Las Vegas Aces for fourth place in the standings despite the setback the storm clenched a playoff spot thanks to losses by the Atlanta Dream in Chicago Sky earlier in the evening for the Liberty the wind was a significant boost as they continue their push for the top seed in the playoffs Stewart's returned to Seattle where she was warmly received by the Home crowd was a reminder of her Legacy with the storm but also of the new chapter she is writing with the Liberty as the regular season nears its conclusion both teams will be looking to fine-tune their play ahead of what promises to be a highly competitive postseason