Ionescu’s record night powers Liberty to win

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. — Sabrina Ionescu scored a career-high 37 points, including 20 in the second quarter, and the Liberty defeated the Atlanta Dream 106-83 on Friday night.

LIBERTY 106

DREAM 83

Ionescu made a franchiserecord and career-high eight 3-pointers, the last putting the Liberty at the 100-point mark for the first time this season. She went 10-for-18 from the field, including 8-for-13 on 3-pointers and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.

Breanna Stewart had 25 points and nine rebounds, Jonquel Jones had 11 points and Courtney Vandersloot added 11 assists for the Liberty (5-2).

Allisha Gray scored 17 points, Rhyne Howard 15 and Cheyenne Parker 12 for Atlanta (2-4).

The Dream trailed 61-39 at halftime, but closed to within 67-60 late in the third quarter.

A steal and fast-break layup by Marine Johannes put the Liberty up by nine, and they finished the third quarter on a 10-0 run. The Liberty added six points to their lead in the fourth quarter.

Atlanta led 15-13 in the first quarter before Stewart went on a nine-point scoring spree that included two 3-pointers, one of which became a fourpoint play after she was fouled. The Liberty led 26-19 at the end of the period.

Haley Jones hit a 3-pointer, got a rebound at the other end and hit a short jumper to draw Atlanta into a 33-33 tie midway through the second quarter. But the Dream never took the lead and the Liberty responded with a 14-1 run during which Ionescu scored 10 points. Her 20 points in the quarter were two shy of the WNBA record. She had 23 points in the first half and her team led 61-39 at the break.

The game was part of the Commissioner’s Cup, in which the Liberty are 4-2 and Atlanta is 1-2.

The Liberty bounced back after they lost 86-82 to Chicago on Sunday and their scheduled game against Minnesota on Tuesday was postponed because of poor air quality in New York City.