Brookyln, NY—–New York’s Breanna Stewart led a remarkable comeback against the Atlanta Dream, securing an 81-75 victory with 22 points and 12 rebounds on Sunday. The Liberty, initially trailing by 16 points in the first half, turned the tide and entered the final quarter ahead 60-59. They then surged ahead with a decisive 10-0 run, kickstarted by Stewart’s free throw.
“We kept our composure and stuck to our game plan,” Stewart commented on their recovery from a sluggish start. “After a few off days, we needed to find our rhythm again.”
In addition to Stewart’s standout performance, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton chipped in 18 points to New York’s effort. Stewart also achieved a milestone, reaching 5,000 career points in just 242 games, faster than any other player in WNBA history, surpassing Diana Taurasi’s record of 243 games.
New York trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half, marking the team’s largest comeback victory of this season.
Atlanta, despite a strong effort from Allisha Gray (24 points) and Tina Charles (16 points, 12 rebounds), struggled to maintain their lead. Missing key players Rhyne Howard and Aerial Powers due to injuries, they couldn’t sustain their early advantage they had in the first half.
The game also marked a poignant return for New York’s Courtney Vandersloot, who rejoined the starting lineup after a brief absence to be with her mother before her passing from cancer. Vandersloot’s presence bolstered the Liberty’s resolve as they overcame adversity to secure the victory.
The Liberty started off trailing 31-15 early in the second quarter and were down by 14 points with only 1 minute and 40 seconds left before halftime. However, Stewart and Vandersloot led the comeback, bringing the score to 41-36 by the break. Stewart struggled initially, missing six of her first seven shots, but she bounced back by making four of her last five shots, ending the half with a total of 12 points.
“At some point we’ll be able to put it all together hopefully when we have everyone back full force,” Atlanta coach Tanisha Wright said. “Tonight our crew played hard, they got fatigued. when you get fatigued, it’s hard to push through and do the things you’re supposed to do because you let fatigue take over. I don’t fault them for that.”
