Breanna Stewart scored 24 points, leading five New York Liberty players in double figures to a 91-80 victory over the visiting Indiana Fever on Saturday afternoon.
In their home opener, the Liberty hit 15 three-pointers, countering rookie Caitlin Clark’s 22 points and eight assists for the Fever. Jonquel Jones added 14 points and 12 rebounds, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 13 points, Sabrina Ionescu had 12 points, and Courtney Vandersloot contributed 10 points for the Liberty.
The Liberty (3-0) defeated the Fever (0-3) for the second time in three days, with both games being decisive wins. Clark, who committed eight turnovers, shot 9 of 17 from the field, including 4 of 10 from beyond the arc. She did not attempt any free throws, and Indiana had 16 turnovers in total.
Kelsey Mitchell scored 17 points, Aliyah Boston added 12 points, and NaLyssa Smith contributed 11 points and eight rebounds for Indiana, but it wasn’t enough. Clark scored 10 points in the first quarter, surpassing her total from Thursday night’s game against New York. Despite having more opportunities compared to their first meeting, the Liberty closely guarded Clark.
Indiana shot 41.2 percent from the field and made 9 of 26 three-pointers. Stewart went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, outscoring Indiana’s 5-for-6 performance.
The Liberty extended their lead to 44-24 early in the second quarter with an 11-2 run, eventually leading by 21 points at halftime, 57-37. Indiana outscored New York 21-16 in the third quarter but still trailed 73-58 going into the fourth. After a Mitchell three-pointer opened the fourth-quarter scoring, the Liberty regained control. Stewart’s free throws, Laney-Hamilton’s three-pointer, and a Jones jumper pushed the lead to 82-61 with 7:11 remaining. Jones, Vandersloot, and Ionescu each recorded five assists in the game.
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