In the second of the emotional games for the New York Liberty (4-1) the ladies were able to yet again respond in style with a close and action packed 77-76 victory over the Chicago Sky (3-3) in WNBA action on Saturday.
As the team entered into Wintrust Arena, they once again balance the emotions of the return of one of their star players to their former teams.
This time it is the return of Courtney Vandersloot to the Chicago area, as the guard received a warm embrace from the fans in the area for her style of play with the team.
New York Liberty fans are encouraged to check out the following video featuring thoughts from Head Coach Sandy Brondello along with Betnijah Laney and Breanna Stewart. Video is compliments of the New York Liberty:
Vandersloot, played with the Sky from the 2011-2022, was picked by the team with their Third Overall Pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. There were so many wonderful moments for Courtney in the Chicago area, that included her winning the WNBA Championship in the 2021 Season.
And now for Courtney she is with the Liberty and creating new moments with the leagues Super Team, as she is one of many that helped to lead the squad to a nailbiter.
Vandersloot had several impressive moments, showing the fans of the Sky some highlight reel plays and finishing the game with eight points, eight assist and three rebounds.
Chicago got the game going on a great note as they went on a 12-0 run from the 6:13 mark of the first to the 4:08 mark of the First Quarter. The Sky continued their momentum in the Second Quarter by going on a 17-7 run.
In the Second Half, the ladies got into a groove and found a scoring rhythm as they went on a 17-7 run in the third quarter then on a 10-2 run in the fourth.
Helping to lead the way in scoring for New York is Stewart, as the forward hit many clutch shots throughout the night. Steward wound up with 19 points on 42.8% (7-16) shooting from the floor. That also included a 37.5% (3-8) from three and 11 rebounds, five assist and two blocks.
For Breanna, she was able to have her fourth double-double of the season. This marks the third time in WNBA history that a player reached a double-double in four of their first five games. Prior to the start of the game against the Sky, Steward was named as the KIA WNBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month of May.
Having several highlight reel moves Betnijah Laney scored a season-high 17 points on 57.1 (8-14) shooting from the field, that included a perfect night from beyond the arc to go along with three rebounds and two assists. Laney had herself a milestone moment in the Second Quarter when she recorded her 100th career three-pointer.
Kayla Thornton is gaining confidence and momentum with her new team, as she finished up the night with a season-high 12 points on 71.4 % (5-7) shooting from the field. Thornton made several key plays for New York and is looking more and more like one of the team key players to watch for as the WNBA Season progresses.
Also having a strong showing is Jonquel Jones as she added 10 points on 57.1% (4-7) shooting from the field, to go along with 33.3% (1-3) from three, two rebounds and a blocked shot.
These two teams are going to meet again as they both head to the Barclays Center and play their second game in a four-game series on June 4. Fans can catch all the action between the Liberty and Sky on the YES Network and in person with the start of the game set for 2:00 p.m.
For more information on the New York Liberty fans are encouraged to click on the link seen here:
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