Uncasville, Conn. – Sabrina Ionescu shined with 36 points, while Emma Meesseman added 11 points in her return to the WNBA, guiding the New York Liberty to break a four-game losing streak with an 87-78 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday. Jonquel Jones contributed 21 points and nine rebounds for the Liberty (18-10), who played without All-Star Breanna Stewart for the fourth consecutive game due to a knee injury.
For the Sun (5-22), Tina Charles scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and Anneesah Moorow contributed 16 points and nine rebounds. It should be noted that the Sun inflicted the Liberty their worst defeat of the season on Friday, with a score of 78-62.
Meesseman, former Finals MVP who hadn’t played in the league since 2022, before winning the EuroLeague Women MVP award in the last three seasons, made all her contribution in the second half. Ionescu, for her part, grabbed 10 rebounds, obtaining her first double-double of the season, and added her fifth 30-point game, one point shy of her personal best. Additionally, Ionescu surpassed 1,000 assists, being the third player to reach this mark in the shortest possible time. Ionescu scored 16 of New York’s first 20 points, and the Liberty scored the last nine points of the first quarter to take a 25-19 lead that they never relinquished. At halftime, Ionescu had 20 points and Jones 13, establishing a 45-38 lead. Meesseman scored her first points with two free throws at the start of the third quarter and scored seven during a 9-2 run that gave the Liberty their first double-digit lead of the day, 54-43. New York entered the final quarter with a 66-57 lead.
