Liberty crush Sun in WNBA season opener behind Breanna Stewart’s big performance

Breanna Stewart delivered a dominant performance with 31 points and 10 rebounds as the New York Liberty opened their WNBA season with a commanding 106-75 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Friday night in New York. Despite missing several key players, including Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty never lost control of the game. Stewart was highly efficient, shooting 10-for-17 from the field while also converting 11 of her 12 free-throw attempts. She also crossed the 6,000-point mark for her career during the win.


Marine Johannes gave New York a major boost off the bench with 17 points, knocking down five shots from beyond the arc. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 12 points in her first game back after missing last season following knee surgery, while Julie Vanloo and Jonquel Jones each scored 12 and 10 points respectively.


The Liberty displayed excellent offensive rhythm throughout the contest, shooting over 52 percent from the floor and dominating at the free-throw line. New York also benefited from Connecticut’s sloppy ball handling, converting turnovers into easy scoring opportunities.


For the Sun, Diamond Miller scored 16 points in her team debut, while Aneesah Morrow added 15. Veteran center Brittney Griner chipped in with 13 points in her first appearance for Connecticut.

New York took complete control early in the opening quarter and quickly built a double-digit lead. By halftime, the Liberty were comfortably ahead 66-37 after raining down three-pointers and forcing repeated Connecticut mistakes.

The Sun attempted a brief comeback in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 20 points, but the Liberty responded immediately to shut down any momentum. New York finished the night in dominant fashion, leading by as many as 33 points while sending an early warning to the rest of the league.