Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart propel Liberty past Storm

The dynamic duo of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart each scored 20-plus points to lead the Liberty to an 80-76 victory over the Seattle Storm on Saturday at Barclays Center. 

Stewart finished with 25 points, eight rebounds and three assists while Ionescu contributed 20 points and eight assists.

But it was Ionescu’s aggressiveness to start the contest, with the fourth-year guard drilling a pair of early 3-pointers, that helped the Liberty set the tone in a back-and-forth game. 

“Trust in my shot and knowing that if I get a good look, that’s a good look for the team and really staying true to that,” Ionescu said.

“I worked really hard this offseason on my 3-point shot and continuing to get open, moving without the ball. 

“I know my strength with the ball in my hand in the pick-and-roll and looking to get other people involved, but understanding if I can continue to stretch out the defense it’s going to open up the floor for my teammates. It’s going to help if I continue to shoot the ball well.” 

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The guard’s offseason work has paid dividends. She hit six of her 12 attempts from beyond the arc, her fourth game this season with six or more 3-pointers. 

The only other WNBA player who has four games with at least six 3-pointers in a game is Storm guard Jewell Loyd, who scored 14 points Saturday on 3-for-17 shooting but went just 1-for-10 from deep.

Loyd also left the game in the fourth with a sprained left ankle. 

Loyd’s rough shooting didn’t seem to hurt much as the Storm built a 36-35 lead at the half.

The Storm ended the game with four players in double figures, former Liberty guard Sami Whitcomb leading the way with 19 points. 

Ionescu’s early aggressiveness on offense seemed to be picked up by the rest of the squad as the Liberty scored 25 points in the third quarter.

But it was the unselfish ball movement, in particular, that helped secure them a 60-54 lead going into the fourth. 

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“Playing together, that’s really the thing,” Stewart said. “You don’t want to force it. You want to let it come to you and find the openings and the right places to get going.

“Our biggest strength is the way that we move the ball, and in order to do that we need to rebound and then we can run faster and move the ball a bit faster.” 

Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello is a major proponent of ball movement. 

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“With [Ionescu] and [Courtney Vandersloot], we’ve got two of the best assist players in the league here,” Brondello said. “Stewie can get an assist and we have other players that can get an assist, too.” 

During the final period, though the Liberty’s lead grew to 10 points, the Storm kept fighting back down the stretch and got within two on multiple occasions.

With just 17 seconds left, however, and the Liberty holding a two-point lead, Ionescu knocked down a pair of free throws to secure the victory.