The confidence of Stewart and Ionescu helps Liberty secure semifinal Game 1 win

Stewart was laser focused because of how much this semifinals series against the Las Vegas Aces means to her. Stewart, her teammates, her coaches and those near and dear to her remembered what happened against the Aces last year, and she took that challenge of not playing her best in a WNBA Finals series personally. 

All of her hard work with Liberty assistant coach Olaf Lange during the offseason was meant for moments like this. It was a moment where Stewart wanted to prove to the over 14,000 people in Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon that shooting 3-17 from the field in last year’s game 4 on October 19 wasn’t going to happen again. 

“I’ve just kind of grown from it,” Stewart said postgame following the 87-77 New York win. “I had a tremendous, unfortunately, a lot of time to reflect about it, last year’s postseason, and where can I be better? And how to kind of just handle things collectively better. But with that, I don’t forget who I am and what I can do.”

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What did Stewart do? The better question is — what didn’t she do? She began the first quarter on an absolute heater, scoring 11 of the Liberty’s 28 points on 5-6 shooting playing to the percentages. She hit 3 shots in the paint with two of those in the restricted area and then hit a wide open trail three from 24 feet. New York was well intentioned in the offense it set up for Stewart early on, making sure that Alysha Clark, a former teammate whose defense contributed greatly to Stewart’s struggles last fall, was getting screened and as a result not able to keep up with the nimble 6’4 big wing. 

But while Stewart scored the most in the first half for the Liberty, 20 points on 8-10 shooting, she had two assists too that came at moments when Stewart previously would have tried to will the ball into the hoop on her own. 

“It’s just her finding, realizing when are better moments, not forcing some of the actions, and having just making better decisions about the process,” Lange told The Next about how Stewart is better prepared this season to face the defense of Clark and that 2024 league MVP A’ja Wilson. 

The first sign of that preparedness came with 6:42 left in the first quarter. Stewart drove from right wing right on Wilson, took a step back ready to shoot above the free throw line, but instead hesitated and found Ionescu, who was standing on the left wing with a lot of space behind her. Ionescu received the ball, Stewart screened for Ionescu so she could drive. With the shot clock down to 3, Ionescu hoisted a 25 foot three point bomb over the outstretched arms of Wilson. 

“We have to kind of just tell her not be so hard on herself, that it’s a team thing, and we all could have been better in that last game, when [the Aces] clinched the series here in New York,” Liberty center Jonquel Jones said about Stewart postgame. “And we understood that it’s going to take everybody being better. It’s not just all on her.”

And in the second half, it wasn’t. Sabrina Ionescu scored 12 of her 21 points, made 3 of her 5 assists and 3 of her four rebounds all in the second half. She once again took advantage of moments she could use her quicker first step and go downhill. She blew by Aces primary perimeter defender Jackie Young twice for scores in the second half. This feature of Ionescu’s game has defined her 2024 season as she took that jump in order to be a player more ready for the challenges a team like Las Vegas poses.

“That’s something that I’ve tried to do all season long, but especially in the series,” Ionescu said.  “I think to be able to see that tonight, my driving ability to just get paint touches and get some easy ones in and be able to rely on my shot, not as much as I probably have in the past. I think it’s just helped me all around as a player and help my team.”

But her long ball shot still found the bottom of the net. In the second half she hit two huge wide open shots, one from 25 feet and the other near the logo from 30 feet deep. The first earned a point from Spike Lee court side and the other brought Lee and franchise owner Clara Wu Tsai on their feet jumping up and down.

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What might have been most impressive about Stewart and Ionescu’s game one performances, though, was their ability to stay composed and poised, especially when the Aces went on their runs to cut into the Liberty’s lead. This was something that both guard Courtney Vandersloot and head coach Sandy Brondello made it a point to mention postgame. 

“I thought we had really good patience,” Brondello said. “And we [sought] the best shot most possessions, and you have to do that against a team like this that can put up a lot of points.”

That composure came into full effect with a little of two minutes left in regulation, while the Liberty were up just by 8. Las Vegas still had a lot of time to score in bunches and put pressure on New York. Ionescu drove and appeared to be fouled by Clark. And after the Aces challenged the call, the officials took a long time to review the play, and the ruling was overturned — Ionescu did not head to the line. The pressure was still on the Liberty to seal this game. 

After the jump ball was won by the Liberty, Stewart passed the ball to Jones near the top of the key. Ionescu set the screen for Stewart so that she could get downhill and outrun Clark. Jones found her cutting into a wide open paint for the score inside the the restricted area. 

Then after a Wilson makes a shot over two Liberty defenders in Jones and Leonie Fiebich, Stewart, Ionescu and Jones took their time moving the ball and the Aces defense. Jones’ pass to Stewart with six seconds remaining on the shot clock was interrupted by Clark similarly to that final play in Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals. 

Stewart kept her handle and ran a pick-and-roll with Ionescu screening Clark again. This allowed Stewart to accelerate and float a shot up over Wilson’s outstretched arms. The ball banked off the backboard and right into the net as the shot clock expired. 

And then after she hit what was the dagger to put the game away, Stewart made sure to get back quickly on the other end and beat Kelsey Plum to her spot to bat the ball out of bounds. Jones then sealed the deal with a block on Wilson. 

“What Sandy said was to continue to put the ball in mine and [Ionescu’s]  hand, especially down the stretch, and for us to make plays,” Stewart said on how the Liberty handled those final minutes. “I know [Clark]  is really pressuring me and physical and into me almost all the time. And I tried to get her on a cut where I could get a little bit better position.” 

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It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Liberty’s newer offensive strategies in 2024 — having Ionescu screen for Stewart and Stewart seek out shots closer to the rim — are what helped them beat the Aces on Sunday. Stewart finished with 13 points while being guarded by Clark and shot 6-11 while doing so. 

Both Stewart and Ionescu had people in the Barclays Center crowd who have believed in them and have steered the New York Liberty duo through different moments of their careers. After being interviewed by the ESPN broadcast and hugging and taking pictures with Lee and Wu Tsai, Stewart made her way to legendary UConn women’s basketball assistant Chris Daily. And waiting for Ionescu was former tennis player and longtime agent at WME Jill Smoller, someone who has believed in her long before she became a WNBA All-Star. 

Comedian Tracy Morgan and his family then met Stewart outside of the locker room to chop it up before she got the game ball for her 34 points on 12-19 shooting, 4 assists and 5 rebounds in the Liberty’s Game 1 win against the Aces. Morgan even joked with Stewart that he now has his bed set up in the hallway of the locker room when she asked him if he would come back to see the Liberty play the Aces again on Tuesday night. 

On Sunday afternoon, Stewart notched her sixth 30+ point playoff game and tied Angel McCoughtry for second all-time. If Stewart comes up with two more, she’ll tie Diana Taurasi, who has had eight. 

While Game 1 was a statement game for Stewart, who had a clear chip on her shoulder, that’s not what matters most, or even is most the profound statement made by New York’s victory. “I think the biggest message, I would say, is it’s not about Stewie,” Lange said. “It’s about the New York Liberty.”

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