3 minSports
Liberty hold off Fever 109-102 despite big nights from Clark, Boston and Mitchell
Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and Leonie Fiebich added 20 in her return from injury as the New York Liberty defeated the Indiana Fever 109-102 on Saturday night, with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell combining for 68 points in the loss.
The New York Liberty had to earn this one down the stretch, holding off the Indiana Fever 109-102 on Saturday night in a game with significant playoff implications. Two-time WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 22 points, while Leonie Fiebich made an immediate impact in her first game since July 3, adding 20 points for New York, which improved to 23-15.
Jonquel Jones chipped in 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Liberty, who finally had their full lineup healthy for the first time in nearly six weeks. Fiebich was playing her first game since suffering a foot injury, and Jones returned after missing most of New York's last game against Chicago on Tuesday with a tweaked left ankle.
The game was tied at 100 before Stewart split a pair of free throws to put the Liberty in front. After an Indiana miss, Fiebich converted a basket through contact with 57.5 seconds remaining, though she missed the ensuing free throw. Caitlin Clark had a chance to answer on the other end, but her driving layup would not fall, and Fiebich came down with the rebound. Astier then drew a foul with less than 30 seconds remaining and sank both free throws to give New York a five-point cushion.
Indiana rallied to tie the game on Kelsey Mitchell's 3-pointer with 1:44 left. Mitchell finished with 25 points, Aliyah Boston had 22 and Clark added 21 for the Fever, who are in the middle of a brutal stretch of five road games in eight days and have gone 2-2 so far.
New York led by four at the half, and then Sabrina Ionescu and Fiebich got going in the third quarter. The pair combined for 19 of the Liberty's 31 points in the period as New York extended its lead to 85-78 heading into the fourth quarter.
Jones got going early, as she has done consistently since the All-Star break. The Liberty's 6-foot-6 center had 17 points and seven rebounds at the half as New York held a 53-49 advantage.
Both teams knew how important this game was, with playoff positioning at stake and the standings tight from third through eighth place. The victory gives the Liberty breathing room in the crowded middle of the WNBA standings as the regular season winds down.
With Indiana visiting, there were rallies outside the arena before the game both for and against transgender women in sports. Fever reserve Sophie Cunningham had said in an ESPN profile published last month that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls' and women's sports. Cunningham was met with a mixture of boos and cheers from the sellout crowd.
