Led by Natasha Cloud with 4 3-pointers and 18 factors, the defending champion New York Liberty broke the WNBA regular-season file by making 19 3s in a 99-74 victory over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night time.
Eight of 9 Liberty gamers who tried a 3-pointer made not less than one from deep as they completed 19 for 34 (56%). The earlier group and WNBA highs had been 18 3-pointers in a regular-season recreation. The Las Vegas Aces made 23 3s in a playoff recreation in 2022.
Cloud made 4 of 5 from deep and had eight assists. Kennedy Burke had 17 factors off the bench, going 4 of 4 on 3s. Sabrina Ionescu scored 16 factors, Breanna Stewart 12 and Jonquel Jones 11 for New York (2-0).
New York shot 55% total and made 16 of 17 free throws.
Chicago’s Angel Reese was 0-for-8 taking pictures and scored two factors. It was the primary time since 2021 that she did not make not less than one basket, ending a streak of 136 video games, school and professional. She went 0 of 6 for Maryland in a 2021 Candy 16 loss to Texas.
Reese had 12 rebounds, eight on offense, and 5 of Chicago’s 23 turnovers.
The Liberty led 28-23 after one quarter and 36-30 within the second interval earlier than closing the half on a 17-2 run.
Chicago (0-2) scored the primary eight factors of the third quarter however was by no means nearer than that 13-point deficit. Cloud scored eight factors in New York’s 13-4 run within the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter for an 88-58 lead.
Rachel Banham led Chicago with 15 factors. Fourteen-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who performed for New York final season when the Liberty gained their first WNBA championship, scored 14 for the Sky.
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Up subsequent
New York performs at Indiana on Saturday and Chicago visits Los Angeles on Sunday.