Breanna Stewart Dropped 22 Points and the Liberty Bench Went OFF for 41, Leaving Portland Speechless!

WOOF! If you missed Thursday night's game, you missed a wild one! The New York Liberty rolled into Portland and straight-up took control in the second half, snagging a massive 100-82 victory over the Fire. This one was a total comeback special, with Breanna Stewart leading the charge with a game-high 22 points, but honestly, the bench stepping up with 41 points was the real shocker that flipped this whole series. That's how you split a two-game set on the road and improve to a sweet 3-1 record!

Portland Came Out SWINGING, But Couldn't Keep Up

Let's be real, the Fire came out hot. Like, scorching hot! They were feeling good after their 98-96 win Tuesday night, their first win in their second iteration, and they looked like they wanted to run it back. Portland controlled most of the first half, shooting accurately and playing some solid defense. They established a 20-12 lead late in the first quarter, thanks to Emily Engstler capping a 9-0 run with a free throw. New York went scoreless for a grueling 4:24 stretch during that run, and Portland even pushed the margin to 27-18 when Sug Sutton dished to Megan Gustafson for a layup. But then, the Liberty finally woke up. They found their rhythm on both ends of the floor, rattling off 11 straight points. Stewart ignited that run with a 3-pointer and a layup. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton then sank a driving layup with just 2.4 seconds left before halftime, giving New York a narrow 39-37 edge at the break. That was the moment you could feel the momentum shift, even if the lead was tiny.

Second-Half EXPLOSION: Stewart and the Bench Go Nuclear

Whatever coach said at halftime, it WORKED! The Liberty came out of the locker room like a completely different squad, hitting Portland with a brutal 31-16 third-quarter burst. That wasn't just a good quarter, folks, that was a game-changer! Stewart was absolutely dominant, scoring 10 points in that period alone. She capped a crucial 10-0 burst with two free throws, putting the Liberty's lead into double figures for good. From that point on, Portland just couldn't get back into it. And talk about depth! New York's bench was a revelation, putting up a whopping 41 points. That's a huge turnaround after getting outscored 32-11 by the bench Tuesday night. Pauline Astier added 20 points, Rebekah Gardner chipped in 14, and Alex Fowler contributed 12 off the bench. Marine Johannes was dropping dimes all night, dishing out 11 assists while only committing one turnover. The team finished with 34 of 67 shots from the field, including 15 of 38 from the 3-point line, and a mind-blowing 32 assists overall. Contrast that with Portland, who hit only 30 of 68 from the field and a measly 9 of 31 from downtown. Yeah, the difference was obvious. This was a big statement win for the Liberty, splitting the series and pushing their record to 3-1. That kind of second-half dominance, especially on the road, shows exactly what this team is capable of when they're firing on all cylinders. You love to see it, especially this early in the season!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.