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Liberty Overcome Slow Start, Defeat Fever Behind Jones and Fiebich
23 Jul
Summary
- Natasha Jones returned from injury and had a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds
- Leonie Fiebich stepped up with 17 points, helping the Liberty rally from a late deficit
- Sabrina Ionescu erupted for 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to seal the win
The New York Liberty bounced back from a sluggish start to defeat the Indiana Fever 98-84 on Tuesday night at Barclays Center. Natasha Jones, making her long-awaited return after missing over a month due to a re-sprained ankle, shook off early rust to become a dominant force in the paint. She finished with a team-high 18 points and 9 rebounds, helping the Liberty improve to 9-1 with her in the lineup.
While the Liberty's usual stars, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, struggled early, it was one of their role players, Leonie Fiebich, who stepped up and carried the team for large stretches. Fiebich scored 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including two clutch 3-pointers, to keep the Fever at bay whenever they threatened to pull away.
Ionescu eventually found her groove in the fourth quarter, erupting for 10 straight Liberty points to help them extend their lead to 13. Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 29 points, but was quiet down the stretch as the Liberty's stacked roster proved too much to handle.
