Liberty 90, Fever 88: FULL Game Log

New York City and Indianapolis are engaging in a high stakes showdown over this Memorial Day weekend ... also, the New York Knicks face in the Indiana Pacers.

The holiday weekend's WNBA slate is headlined by an anticipated clash between the New York Liberty and Indiana Fever, which will situate the defending champions against rising star Caitlin Clark at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, just over 24 hours before the NBA's Eastern Conference Finals continue at the same establishment.

Both New York and Indiana have gotten the new year off to sterling starts: New York Knicks has won each of its first two games by a combined 39 points, making history in the latter on Thursday night. With Natasha Cloud leading the way at 18 points, the Liberty set a WNBA single-game record with 19 successful free throws in a 99-74 triumph over the Chicago Sky. The Liberty previously prevailed by 14 over Las Vegas in their opener on Saturday afternoon.

Indiana has won two of its first three, including an 81-76 decision in Atlanta on Thursday night. Former New Yorker Natasha Howard stole the show, putting in 26 points on 12-of-17 shooting.

The Liberty won three of four meetings with the Fever last season, though they split the pair at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This will be the first of four get-togethers between New York and Indiana with the Liberty set to return to Indianapolis on June 14.

FINAL: Liberty 90, Fever 88

4th Quarter

0.0—Coverage from Cloud prevents Clark from getting a shot off and the Liberty secure the win.

2.9—Ionescu drives and is fouled by Hull. She hits both. Indiana calls its reset timeout, moving the inbound to the other end. (90-88 NYL)

7.6—Mitchell's miss is rebounded by Burke. Timeout Liberty.

10.4—Bonner's would-be go-ahead from Clark is rejected by Cloud. One second left on the shot clock.

25.3—A Clark miss leads to a tie-up between Stewart and Boston. Boston wins the jumpball.

36.9—Ionescu misses from deep sandwich a Boston misfire. Timeout Fever, 15 on the shot clock.

1:18—Boston fouled by Stewart going up. She hits both. (88-88)

1:33—Clark fouls Jones, her fifth. Liberty in the bonus. Jones hits both. Timeout Fever. (88-86 NYL)

1:55—Ionescu to the line after Boston's fourth foul. She misses both.

2:17—Clark's finger roll re-knots the game (86-86)

2:36—Ionescu's pull up gets the seafoam lead back (86-84 NYL)

3:01—A second effort from Boston beats Jones and Stewart to tie the game (84-84)

3:56—Burke gets up slowly after victimized by a Hull foul. She stays in.

4:52—The Liberty get the lead back via another Jones three (84-82 NYL)

5:33—Jones continues the one-woman show, sinking one from deep. Timeout Fever (82-81 IND)

6:09—Jones puts back a Ionescu miss, narrowing the gap to four (82-78 IND)

6:53—After trading doubles with Howard, Cloud turns a steal into a Stewart fastbreak (82-76 IND)

7:49—Jones drives and draws a foul from Howard. She hits both at the line. (80-72 IND)

8:20—Jones stops the bleeding with a double after the timeout (80-70 IND)

8:35—The cold Liberty are forced into a timeout after a Howard tip-in. The lead is up to 12. (80-68 IND)

9:19—Howard gets on the board off a feed from Boston, giving the Fever a double-figure lead (78-68 IND)

3rd Quarter: Fever 76, Liberty 68

0.0—Clark hits a deep three as the period lets out. Indiana wins the frame 30-13. (76-68 IND)

1:04—Clark hits a four-point play off Gardner's fourth foul. It ends a streak of 12 consecutive misses from deep (73-68 IND)

1:29—Boston gives the Fever the lead back with a baseline double (69-68 IND)

1:54—Stewart gives the Liberty the lead back at the foul line (68-67 NYL)

2:00—Clark splits three defenders for a driving double and the lead (67-66 IND)

2:24—Burke sinks one at the line to give the Liberty the lead back (66-65 NYL)

2:38—Hull hits one at the line and Mitchell drains one from deep to tie the game (65-65)

3:56—A possession extended via Jones' first board offensive gives Ionescu a floater (65-61 NYL)

4:37—Mitchell turns a steal from Cloud into a two-point fastbreak (63-61 NYL)

5:20—Boston narrows the gap to two but Cloud stems the bleeding on the other end (63-59 NYL)

(Injury Update: Liberty announce that Leonie Fiebich is QUESTIONABLE to return)

5:53—After cutting the lead to four, Hull draws an offensive foul, Jones' third, which leads to a timeout on the floor. Now the Liberty challenge, but it's unsuccessful. (61-57 NYL)

6:26—With the lead reduced to six again, Howard is charged with two fouls, the latter placing Stewart at the line. Fever will challenge. The challenge is successful, Boston's foul is rescinded and Indiana gets the ball back (61-55 NYL)

7:26—After four quick Indiana points, Cloud forms a fastbreak off a jumpball (61-53 NYL)

8:43—Jones re-establishes the double-figure lead at the foul line with two. Boston's second foul. (59-49 NYL)

9:28—Ionescu responds with a floater on the other end (57-49 NYL)

9:47—Hull opens second half scoring with a three (55-49 NYL)

10:00—Back underway in Indy. Burke starts the third in place of Feibich.

HALFTIME: Liberty 55, Fever 46

2nd Quarter

1.4—Stewart gets two late freebies in the penultimate second on Cunningham's second foul. She hits them. (55-46 NYL)

41.2—Trying to score off another Clark feed, Boston goes to the line after Jones' first foul. She hits one. (53-46 NYL)

1:20—Clark calls a timeout after Stewart traps her on the sidelined.

1:48—After three fruitless Liberty possession, Clark finds Boston yet again (53-45 NYL)

2:50—Following a Mitchell jumper, Boston puts back in a Clark miss to give her 14. Timeout Liberty. (53-43 NYL)

3:48—After another Boston two, Cloud becomes the fourth New Yorker in double-figures with her own double (53-39 NYL)

4:39—Ionescu responds with a driving double (51-37 NYL)

4:49—Mitchell stops the Liberty run with a three. (49-37 NYL)

5:12—Ionescu gets a three-point play the old fashioned way, getting a successful three-point play off the Boston foul (49-34 NYL)

5:28—The Liberty comeout of the timeout with a Burke drive and a Cloud three (46-34 NYL)

6:42—After assisting on Jones' double, Cloud sinks her first three, leading to the Liberty's largest lead and an Indiana timeout (41-34 NYL)

7:29—Mitchell hits one of two after Stewart's second foul. Howard re-enters with her two fouls, Stewart sits for Jones (36-34 NYL)

8:11—Burke sinks a three to give the Liberty the lead back (36-33 NYL)

8:49—Ionescu's turnaround puts her in double figures and ties the game (33-33)

8:55—Having re-entered with two fouls, Fiebich collides knee-on-knee with Hull. She goes to the bench to get treatment from athletic trainer Terri Acosta.

9:11—Cunningham's finger roll puts the Fever back ahead (33-31 IND)

9:25—Kennedy Burke enters and gets free throws on a Damiris Dantas foul She hits one of two. (31-31)

9:32—Bonner turns a steal into free throw opportunities. She hits both after a Cloud foul. (31-30 IND)

1st Quarter: Liberty 30, Fever 29

1.6—After Clark hit one at the line, Rebekah Gardner steals one from Clark and gets to the line after her second foul. Clark gets her second and the Liberty get the lead back. (30-29 NYL)

39.0—Stewart hits one of two after Clark's first foul for a tie. (28-28)

51.3—Following Boston's entry into double-figures, a Cunningham three gives the Fever the lead back (28-27 IND)

1:30—Ionescu passes Hammon with two successful sinks at the foul line (27-23 NYL)

1:45—After a Jones double, five straight points from Lexie Hull narrows the gap quickly. The latter three was earned off her steal of Johannes (25-23 NYL)

2:16—After Stewart hits one of two at the foul line following a Sophie Cunningham foul, Clark gets a three-point play off a Rebecca Gardner foul. (23-18 NYL)

2:54—After another Boston double, Ionescu hits another three. With those deep balls, Ionescu ties Becky Hammon as the fourth-leading scorer in Liberty history. (22-15 NYL)

3:30—Ionescu gets on the board with a corner three from Johannes' feed (19-13 NYL)

3:51—Stewart's drive draws Mitchell's second foul. She stays in while Stewart hits both freebies (16-13 NYL)

4:24—Fiebich is charged with her second foul. Timeout on the floor. Marine Johannes enters for Fiebich after the timeout.

4:29—Two more from Stewart puts the Liberty back ahead (14-13 NYL)

4:43—Lexie Hull turns a Jones turnover into a turnaround for the lead. (13-12 IND)

5:44—Cloud gets two and the lead at the line after a Mitchell foul (12-11 NYL)

5:57—Another Clark-to-Boston hookup switches the lead again after Ionescu misses a three (11-10 IND)

6:16—Following a Clark turnover, Howard is charged with her second foul. DeWanna Bonner steps in for her.

6:34—Stewart's jumper off Natasha Cloud's second assists gives the Liberty the lead back (10-9 NYL)

7:04—Following a Stewart foul, Clark successfully completes a three-point play to give Indiana its first lead (9-8 IND)

7:42—Jones' successful jumper gets her to the line after a Natasha Howard foul. The and-one is missed, however. (8-6 NYL)

8:04—Kelsey Mitchell gets by Fiebich to take a long pass from Clark for a double (6-6)

8:25—Stewart's pump-fake leads to a floating double (6-4 NYL)

8:39—Jones and Boston exchange doubles, once again off feeds from Ionescu and Clark respectively (4-4)

9:22—Caitlin Clark finds a driving Aliyah Boston to tie the game. Leonie Fiebich is covering Clark early (2-2)

9:39—Sabrina Ionescu finds Jonquel Jones in the pick-and-roll to open scoring (2-0 NYL)

10:00—The Liberty win the tip and the game is underway.

Pregame

Starting Lineups

LIBERTY: Natasha Cloud, Leonie Fiebich, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Breanna Stewart
FEVER: Aliyah Boston, Caitlin Clark, Natasha Howard, Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell

Injuries

LIBERTY: Nyara Sabally (Out, Knee)
FEVER: None

Line: NYL -3.5
O/U: 173.5

Officials: Agon Abazi, Ryan Sassano, Angela Suffren

Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags