TEAM NOTABLES
On Wednesday, the New York Liberty (1-3) fell to the Dallas Wings (2-1), 81-71, in the first game of their 2022 three-game season series.
At Barclays Center, the Liberty finished on 48.3% (29-60) shooting from the field, 31.8% (7-22) from three, and 54.5% (6-11) at the free throw line.
This afternoon was the first time this season that the Liberty outscored the opposition in points in the paint. The last time the Liberty outscored their opponent in the paint in a game was their playoff-clinching win last season against the Mystics on September 17th, 2021.
New York tallied a season-high 18 assists in the contest.
Up Next: The New York Liberty will remain in Brooklyn to take on the Connecticut Sun in rematch of season opener on Tuesday, May 17 at 7 p.m. ET.
KEY RUNS
Q1: Liberty responded to Dallas’ 15-5 run with an 11-3 run between the 4:17 mark and 1:17 mark of the first quarter.
Q2: Keyed by seven-consecutive points from Sabrina Ionescu, New York opened the quarter on a 9-2 run to take 31-28 lead at the 6:48 mark in the period. The Wings responded with a 9-0 run from 6:18 to 3:24 to go up 37-31.
Q3: Dallas opened the half on a 13-6 run from the 10:00 to the 5:32 mark in the quarter to take control.
Q4: There were no significant runs in the final quarter as Dallas maintained at least a seven-point lead throughout the quarter.
PLAYER NOTABLES
Four Liberty players scored in double figures in tonight’s game (Ionescu, Howard, Laney, Han).
With her 17-point, seven-rebound, six-assist performance, Sabrina Ionescu recorded her 16th career game of at least 10 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Natasha Howard finished as the team’s second-leading scorer with 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds on 50% (6-12) shooting from the fields and 50% (2-4) shooting from deep.
Betnijah Laney added 13 points, five assists, and three rebounds on 54.6% (6-11) shooting from the field.
Han Xu sparked the Liberty offense off the bench with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while shooting 57.1% (4-7) from the field and connecting on one of her two three-point attempts.
With her nine-point, three-rebound performance, Sami Whitcomb reached 300 career defensive rebounds with her rebound at the 2:55 mark in the opening quarter.
For Dallas, Arike Ogunbowale finished with a game-high 21 points on 33.3% (6-18) shooting from the field, including 18 second-half points. Isabelle Harrison tallied a season-high 18 points on 46.7% (7-15) shooting from the field and six rebounds.