After nearly a month-long break following the 2024 All-Star Game and the Paris Olympics, the WNBA returned with a bang on Thursday. Oddly enough, many of the standouts also shined on the international stage earlier this month.
With that in mind, here are some highlights from the WNBA’s return
Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu lead title-favorite New York Liberty to fifth straight win
Stewart, an integral part of Team USA’s gold-medal win at the 2024 Paris Olympics, didn’t miss a beat returning to her day job as the WNBA’s reigning MVP. In New York’s 103-68 dismantling of the Los Angeles Sparks, she scored a game-high 27 points (10-of-15), including going 3-of-4 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, Ionescu finished second on the team in scoring (18 points), shooting 6-of-13 and 3-of-7 from three while adding a game-high six assists and four rebounds.
The Liberty improved to a league-best 22-4, and they have won five in a row and 10 of their last 11 games. They own a three-game cushion over the second-place Connecticut Sun (18-6) and are five games better than the defending champion Las Vegas Aces, who rank fifth at 16-8.
