Second Half Struggles Doom Liberty vs. Storm
BROOKLYN—The New York Liberty's in-summer turbulence wasn't quelled against the Seattle Storm.
A stagnant second half, headlined by a six-point output in the third quarter, spelled the Liberty's in part two of an eight-game homestand at Barclays Center, which saw New York fall to Seattle by a 79-70 final.
Five different Pacific Northwesterners, led by 16 from newly-minted All-Star Gabby Williams, reached double figures as Seattle (12-7) defeated New York for the second time in three Sundays.
Nneka Ogwumike had 15 points with seven rebounds, one of which moved her past DeWanna Bonner for eighth all-time on the WNBA's all-time list, while rookie Dominique Malonga helped put the game away with 11 points and eight boards in just under 10 minutes of action.
It was another struggle for New York (12-6), which dropped its sixth over its last nine. Sabrina Ionescu broke out for 20 points in the opening half to lead all scorers (and contributed to all but 11 of the Liberty's 44 first half points through assists, rebounds, and steals) but put up just two in the latter 20.
Another interconference visitor arrives on Tuesday when the Liberty face the Las Vegas Aces (8 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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.