Sabrina Ionescu’s 24 points lead Liberty to hand Sun their first loss of WNBA season

The Connecticut Sun suffered their first loss of the 2024 WNBA season against the New York Liberty, with a final score of 82-75 on Saturday. Connecticut was previously undefeated with a 9-0 record, making them the seventh team in league history to achieve such a strong start. History shows that teams with similar starts have gone on to advance to the WNBA Finals, giving hope to head coach Stephanie White’s squad. The 2016 Minnesota Lynx hold the record for the best start in WNBA history, beginning their season with a 13-0 record.

The New York Liberty secured their sixth consecutive win and improved to a 10-2 record after defeating the Sun. Sabrina Ionescu was a key player for the Liberty, leading the team with 24 points, including 12 in the first half. Jonquel Jones added 22 points with eight rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. Breanna Stewart contributed 13 points, seven rebounds, and five assists, while Betnijah Laney-Hamilton had 10 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Ionescu also made her mark in WNBA history by becoming the fastest player to reach 300 three-pointers in just 117 games.

The Liberty started strong with a 28-18 lead in the first quarter, thanks to Ionescu’s impressive performance. However, the Sun rallied in the second quarter, tying the score at halftime 39-39. The third quarter saw Connecticut take the lead 60-57, but New York mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Sun 25-15 to secure the victory.

DeWanna Bonner led the Sun with 16 points and eight rebounds, followed by Brionna Jones with 13 points, and DiJonai Carrington and Tiffany Mitchell each scoring 12 points. Alyssa Thomas also contributed 10 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. The Liberty played without Courtney Vandersloot, who missed the game for personal reasons.

The New York Liberty will face the winless Washington Mystics in a back-to-back game on Sunday, looking to continue their winning streak.