May 22, 2025 - 7:44 PM
CHICAGO (AP) — Led by Natasha Cloud with four 3-pointers and 18 points, the defending champion New York Liberty broke the WNBA regular-season record by making 19 3s in a 99-74 victory over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.
Eight of nine Liberty players who attempted a 3-pointer made at least one from deep as they finished 19 for 34 (56%). The previous team and WNBA highs were 18 3-pointers in a regular-season game. The Las Vegas Aces made 23 3s in a playoff game in 2022.
Cloud made 4 of 5 from deep and had eight assists. Kennedy Burke had 17 points off the bench, going 4 of 4 on 3s. Sabrina Ionescu scored 16 points, Breanna Stewart 12 and Jonquel Jones 11 for New York (2-0).
New York shot 55% overall and made 16 of 17 free throws.
Chicago’s Angel Reese was 0-for-8 shooting and scored two points. It was the first time since 2021 that she failed to make at least one basket, ending a streak of 136 games, college and pro. She went 0 of 6 for Maryland in a 2021 Sweet 16 loss to Texas.
Reese had 12 rebounds, eight on offense, and five of Chicago’s 23 turnovers.
The Liberty led 28-23 after one quarter and 36-30 in the second period before closing the half on a 17-2 run.
Chicago (0-2) scored the first eight points of the third quarter but was never closer than that 13-point deficit. Cloud scored eight points in New York's 13-4 run in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter for an 88-58 lead.
Rachel Banham led Chicago with 15 points. Fourteen-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who played for New York last season when the Liberty won their first WNBA championship, scored 14 for the Sky.
Up next
New York plays at Indiana on Saturday and Chicago visits Los Angeles on Sunday.
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News from © The Associated Press, 2025