Breanna Stewart, Liberty Prevail in 1st Ride vs. Valkyries
The New York Liberty taught the WNBA's newest franchise a thing or two about the women's pro game on Tuesday night.
Breanna Stewart scored 26 points while Marine Johannes put in a season-best 18 in relief as the Liberty earned a 95-67 triumph over the Golden State Valkyries at Barclays Center. New York (4-0) remained perfect as it handled business against the W's 13th franchise.
Four of the five Brooklyn starters finished with a plus/minus of at least 20, including Jonquel Jones, who had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double despite shooting 4-of-12 from the field. Jones also moved into 20th place on the WNBA's all-time rebounding list, needing just 279 games to reach that landmark.
Scorer of the first nine New York points, Stewart outscored the Valkyries on her own in the opening period, earning 11 on 4-of-6 from the field. The Liberty lead never dipped back under 10 after back-to-back triples from Jones and Sabrina Ionescu as the hosts made it 22-3 before Golden State (2-2) found its footing. Johannes kept the lead secure by sinking four of her six triples in the second period, showcasing the trademark wizardry that has come to define her Liberty career.
While Golden State made a few runs in the second half (which included an improved 8-of-13 mark from deep) the massive lead established ensured that no true harm would come to Brooklyn's lead. Despite the defensive lapses, New York could certainly take pride in allowing only 16 points in the paint, especially after letting up 52 in Saturday's narrow win in Indiana.
Further historic nuggets peppered the Liberty box score: Natasha Cloud's dazzling debut continued as she moved into the WNBA's top 10 in all-time assists while New York as a whole scored 90 points for the fourth consecutive occasion, their longest streak to open a campaign.
Tuesday featured an emotional cause on the Liberty end as former sixth woman Kayla Thornton received the championship ring she earned last fall. Thornton spent the prior two seasons in Brooklyn before the Valkyries added her to their inaugural roster in December's expansion draft. The veteran tied with Veronica Burton for the team lead in scoring with 13 tallies in defeat.
In addition to Thornton, Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin was likewise regaled at halftime. Prior to taking the Valkyries' job, Nyanin helped assemble the roster that secured New York's first postseason championship as the right-hand woman of general manager Jonathan Kolb.
The Liberty immediately face the Valkyries again on Thursday night in the latter half of a Bay Area doubleheader (7 p.m. ET, WWOR).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.