How did the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart make WNBA history against the Indiana Fever?
The WNBA has a number of stars such as Candace Parker, Sue Bird, and A’ja Wilson to name a few, but Breanna Stewart appears to be in a class by herself.
The New York Liberty star continues to prove she’s among the WNBA’s best and she’s making history while doing it. In her latest outing, she became the first woman in history to hit a rather impressive milestone, which begs the question, ‘How many more can she achieve?’
Breanna Stewart enjoys 3rd straight 40-point game
On Sunday night the Indian Fever got to witness history. Unfortunately, it was at their expense as the New York Liberty’s Breanna Stewart scored 42 points in her team’s 100-89 victory. By registering that tally, Stewart became the first player in WNBA history to have three consecutive 40-point games in a single season. Adding to the feat is the fact that 30 of her points were scored in the first 20 minutes, tying her for the most points scored in the first half of a WNBA game.
It should be said that as exceptional as her performance was, it’s actually what was expected after Stewart joined the Liberty during free agency. If anything, one could say it’s the consistency with which she’s performing at this level that’s more of a surprise. Consider for a moment that her record points haul stood alongside six rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three blocks. As for the team, Sunday’s victory was the Liberty’s sixth straight win which means the team now sits on a record of 24-6, which is a franchise record in case you didn’t know.
The Fever broke once again due to Breanna Stewart
One could forgive the Indian Fever if they developed a complex where Stewart is concerned. Sunday’s game was the second time that the Liberty star took apart the team after she scorched them for 45 points back in May. Of course, it wasn’t just Stewart who powered the Liberty to the win. There was also Jonquel Jones who put 15 points on the board to go with 12 rebounds in an impressive double-double. Mention should also be made of Courtney Vandersloot’s season-high 14 assists, as well as Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum, and Diana Taurasi who became the only WNBA players to sink 100 three-pointers in a single season.
As for Indiana, though they didn’t get the win, Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler were both noteworthy with 22 and 21 points respectively. There was also rookie forward and No. 1 overall pick Aliyah Boston who posted 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks as she continues to demonstrate her strength in the paint. Yet, the night - it must be said - belonged to Stewart and the Liberty who will face the Las Vegas Aces next in the Commissioner’s Cup Championship at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Tuesday in Vegas. The Liberty are 1-1 against the reigning champion Aces this season who have a star of their own in the form of the above-mentioned A’ja Wilson.