Overview
- The New York Liberty beat the Toronto Tempo 97-82, a Commissioner’s Cup pool-play game that extended New York's winning streak to three and moved the Liberty to 6-4 on the season.
- Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with 22 points and 17 rebounds and Breanna Stewart added 19 points, giving New York control after a second-quarter surge and a decisive third-quarter run.
- Former Liberty coach Sandy Brondello received a warm ovation in Brooklyn as she made her first return as Toronto’s head coach and Toronto picked up a similar reception for Nyara Sabally.
- Nyara Sabally, taken by Toronto in the expansion draft, started for the Tempo and logged 11 points and six rebounds as she stepped into a larger role on the new franchise.
- Rookies have become key rotation pieces for both teams, with Pauline Astier filling in for the sidelined Sabrina Ionescu and Toronto monitoring Kiki Rice's left-leg injury after she left Wednesday's game; the outcome could affect Toronto's depth as the Tempo hover around .500.