Article Author:
Reuters
Natasha Howard and Sabrina Ionescu each scored 22 points on Wednesday night as No. 7 seed New York Liberty scored the final 13 points to overwhelm No. led 1-0. A first-round WNBA playoff series.
Game 2 takes place Saturday in Chicago, with the defending champions on the verge of his first-round sweep. Even if Sky wins, New York could still play a third game on Tuesday night.
Betni Jarainie added her 17 points, while Stephane Needleson, who was the starter for her team in Chicago last year, scored her 13 points. The Liberty, who set his playoff scoring record for a single-game franchise, eclipsed him 49.3% of his shots. With 37 goals she had 28 assists.
Kahleah Copper's 21 points lead her five players in double digits at Sky. Allie Quigley scored 18 points, Candice Parker scored 17 points, reserve Azra Stevens scored 16 points and Courtney Vanderthroat scored 13 points.
Howard made a layup with 2:30 left to give New York a 92-91 lead on him. Ionescu and Laney combined for the last 6 points to close out the game.
The mood of the game quickly settled when neither team could lead him more than five points in the first quarter. Chicago used a 9-2 spurt in the second half to take a 24-20 advantage into the second stanza.
He took a 37-28 lead when Quigley floated in the lane at 5:26 in the second quarter, but New York took advantage of Chicago's turnover to monopolize the rest of the half. . Marine Johannes' four points on his play gave Liberty the lead, going into the break at 48–45. A 3-pointer from Dolson increased New York's advantage to 63-55 with 5:52 remaining in the third quarter, but Skye swooped in late in the frame. Emma Meesseman made a layup with one second left and Chicago took a 74-73 lead on her.
– Field Level Media
