How to watch Liberty at Storm: Breanna Stewart returns to Seattle in heavyweight clash
Breanna Stewart returns to Seattle with the defending WNBA champions in tow. It's not her first time back at Climate Pledge Arena, but the hardwood still hums with memory. She won two titles here. And when she glides into open space, the court meets her like it remembers.
Will Sunday's clash with the Storm end up another happy memory for Stewart? Or will Seattle play spoiler, as it has already this season?
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The Liberty, now 10-2 after a midweek stumble against the Phoenix Mercury, remain elite on offense and defense, ranking first in scoring and second in points allowed heading into the weekend. Following their second loss in three games, though, this is a recalibration game for a team still chasing its ceiling.
New York averages 89.1 points per game, and Stewart remains the anchor with a team-high 21.1 points. Sabrina Ionescu is right behind her at 20.4 points per game and is riding a scoring surge, with back-to-back 34-point performances on June 14 and 17.
There's also Natasha Cloud, brought in to replace Courtney Vandersloot. The veteran guard quietly ranks among the league's top facilitators with 6.3 assists. Former WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones will be out at least a month after aggravating an ankle injury against the Mercury. While she's sidelined, expect Nyara Sabally to see extended run as the team's fifth starter.
Meanwhile, Seattle enters at third place in the Western Conference, with Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike leading the way. Both average over 17 points and spearhead an offense that shares the ball well, thrives in transition and scores at an incredibly efficient rate.
Gabby Williams, who set a franchise record with eight steals earlier this week, is also averaging a career-high mark in points per game (14.4). She left early in the Storm's lopsided win over the Los Angeles Sparks after turning an ankle, but she came up huge in a win against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night with 18 points and 12 boards — the first double-double of her career. Elsewhere on defense, Ezi Magbegor continues to protect the paint with 2.1 blocks per game.
If the Liberty set the rhythm and control their spacing, they'll likely be on pace for a big win on the road. However, if Seattle turns defense into offense, it could go down to the wire.
Prediction? Liberty by five. Stewart steadies, Cloud closes and New York sharpens its edge.
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(Photo of Breanna Stewart and Ezi Magbegor: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
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