| GAME LEADERS | NEW YORK | WASHINGTON |
| POINTS | Ionescu (29) | Hines-Allen (21) |
| REBOUNDS | Jones (12) | Cloud, Hines-Allen (8) |
| ASSISTS | Vandersloot (6) | Cloud (8) |
TEAM NOTABLES
On Friday, the New York Liberty (1-0) defeated the Washington Mystics (0-1), 90-75, in the opener of their 2023 WNBA Playoffs best-of-three First Round series, winning their first home playoff game since their 79-74 victory in Game 3 of their 2015 opening round series also against Washington.
At Barclays Center, the Liberty finished on 44% (33-75) shooting from the field, 35.3% (12-34) from three, and 85.7% (12-14) at the free throw line.
Up Next: The New York Liberty will host the Washington Mystics again on Tuesday, September 19, in Game 2 of their 2023 WNBA Playoff series, tipping off at 7 p.m. ET.
KEY RUNS
Q1: There were no significant runs in this quarter.
Q2: There were no significant runs in this quarter.
Q3: New York went on a 21-9 run from the 6:31 mark of the third to the 9:40 mark of the fourth quarter.
Q4: Washington went on an 8-0 run from the 9:23 mark of the fourth to the 8:02 mark of the final quarter.
PLAYER NOTABLES
New York finished with four double-digit scorers in tonight’s game (Ionescu, Jones, Laney, Stewart).
Sabrina Ionescu finished with a playoff career-high and game-high 29 points on 55.6% (10-18) shooting from the floor, including 53.8% (7-13) from deep, six rebounds, and two assists. Her seven three-pointers set a Liberty single-game postseason record.
Notching her 11th career postseason double-double, Jonquel Jones totaled 20 points on 58.3% (7-12) shooting from the floor, 12 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.
Betnijah Laney finished with 19 points on 53.3% (8-15) shooting from the field, including 50% (3-6) from three, and a playoff career-high eight rebounds.
Finishing with a game-high 17 plus/minus, Breanna Stewart added 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.
With her assist at the 4:35 mark of the second, Courtney Vandersloot recorded her 300th career postseason assist, joining Lindsay Whalen and Sue Bird. At 41 games, she is the fastest player to reach the milestone in WNBA history. She ultimately finished with seven points, a team-high six assists, four rebounds, and two steals.
For Washington, Myisha Hines-Allen finished with a team-high 21 points and eight rebounds, while Brittney Sykes added 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists.