New York Liberty open WNBA second half with loss to Chicago Sky in ‘wubble’

The Liberty opened the second half of its truncated 22-game season Thursday and although the result was a 101-85 loss, there were bright spots.

Unlike their loss to the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, this game was close and again, rookie Jazmine Jones put up solid numbers, scoring 18 points. Three other Liberty players finished in double figures: Kia Nurse scored 17, Kiah Stokes had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Layshia Clarendon added 12 points.

New York has lost six straight games and is 1-11. And of course, their top player, Sabrina Ionescu, is still sidelined with a severely sprained. She’s expected to be out for at least another two weeks.

There were some highlights...

And some appreciation for the team’s fight...

One big difference was the disparity on 3-point shooting. Chicago finished 11-of-23 behind the arc, while New York was 3-of-19.

For Chicago, now 9-4, Azura Stevens scored a season-high 25 points, Courtney Vandersloot had 19 points, 10 assists and four steals and the Chicago Sky beat the New York Liberty on Thursday night.

Allie Quigley also scored 19 points for Chicago (9-4). Kahleah Copper added 14 points and Ruthy Hebard 11.

Stevens scored 18 points in the first half on 7-of-9 shooting and Quigley added 13 as the Sky shot 54 percent en route to a 57-44 lead. Stevens and Quigley each made three 3-pointers in the opening 20 minutes, helping the Sky make 9-of-15 from distance. The Liberty made 1-of-10 from 3-point range in the half.

• Game Report: Chicago Sky 101, New York Liberty 85 - WNBA.com
• Stevens’ 25 points lead Sky past Liberty 101-85 - AP