Overview
- New York pulled away with a 31–16 third quarter to win 100–82 in Portland on Thursday, improving to 3–1 behind Breanna Stewart’s 22 points.
- The Liberty bench supplied 41 points as newly signed developmental player Alex Fowler scored 12 in her debut, with Rebekah Gardner adding 14 and Julie Vanloo nine on three 3-pointers.
- Turnovers swung the series as New York cut its giveaways from 18 on Tuesday to nine in the rematch, limiting Portland to 11 points off those mistakes.
- Rookie Pauline Astier scored 20 starting for injured Sabrina Ionescu, and Marine Johannes logged a career-high 11 assists as Ionescu and Satou Sabally remained out.
- The split followed Portland’s first-ever win on a Tuesday buzzer-beating putback; New York now gets a week off before hosting Golden State, and Portland hosts Connecticut on Monday.