Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart Make History in Liberty Win
BROOKLYN-History never seems to take a weekend off in modern New York Liberty circles.
Two seafoam headliners set personal marks on Sunday at Barclays Center, which hosted an 81-75 Liberty victory over the Atlanta Dream that maintained Brooklyn's hold of the WNBA's active top seed. As the Liberty fought its way back from an early deficit, Breanna Stewart became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points (242 games). Sabrina Ionescu also earned her 2000th tally, becoming just the seventh New Yorker to do so.
Head coach Sandy Brondello proudly informed reporters of the feat in the aftermath, as Stewart beat one of Brondello's former proteges, Diana Taurasi, by one game.
Stewart has some more work to do if she's going to catch Taurasi's all-time WNBA-best mark (10,407 points and counting after Sunday's action ... or "a lot" as Stewart put it) but nonetheless was able to take pride in her latest accomplishment with some friendly prodding from Brondello and teammate Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.
"I think it's a cool honor for sure," Stewart said. "When you're able to pass someone like D, who's really paving the way with the scoring and all that, it's an incredible honor ... and something I'll definitely text her about."
Stewart was the Liberty's leading scorer on Sunday, posting a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double en route to erasing a first half deficit that reached as high as 16. She turned a conversation on points into a discussion on assists, crediting her teammates for pushing up the WNBA leaderboard.
"All in all, I wouldn't be able to be here and do all the things without my teammates," Stewart said. "I really appreciate them continuing to set me up to get to this point."
Following Sunday's game, Stewart ranks 25th on the WNBA's all-time scoring leaderboard with 5,019 points. Tangela Smith is next on the list, 27 tallies away.
Sunday was a struggle for Ionescu, who was feeling a bit under the weather but nonetheless partook in the Liberty's fourth consecutive regular season victory. Despite shooting 3-of-17 from the field and being held scoreless in the first half, Ionescu reached double-figures and reached the scoring landmark with a fourth quarter floater that was part of an 11-0 to open the period.
Ionescu joined seafoam royalty with the franchise's all-time leading scorer, Tina Charles, repping the Dream on the other side. Charles and Ionescu sandwich Vickie Johnson, Cappie Pondexter, Becky Hammon, Crystal Robinson, and Shameka Christon in New York's 2,000-point club.
Sitting out Sunday was not an option for Ionescu, who capped her scoring with another key three that was part of an 11-5 run that officially put the Dream to sleep. Ionescu found Leonie Fiebich for a triple of her own on the very next possession to put New York up nine with just over three minutes remaining.
"I think I went into that first half, just trying to make it through and see if I was going to be able to play," Ionescu, switching her traditional Bodyarmor for tea and honey as her postgame beverage, said. "There are little kids with signs that say they traveled thousands of miles to come watch me play ... If I was walking, I was going to try and get out there and play."
Ionescu, who also put up four assists and rebounds, opened the second half with a triple, one that extended her streak to games with at least one three to 44. That's tied with Taurasi and Kelsey Plum for the third-longest output in WNBA history.
The Brooklyn headliners, however, continued to stress that they have their eyes on larger goals and expectations. Despite a rusty opening period, they accomplished that goal on Sunday, expanding their lead on first to 1.5 games over idle Connecticut.
"We're trying to do more than get accolades," Stewart noted in her parting remarks.
The next chance for history on both individual and team levels lands on Tuesday night when the Minnesota Lynx visit Brooklyn for a Commissioner's Cup Final rematch on Atlantic Avenue (7 p.m. ET, WNYW).
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks