Breanna Stewart And Sabrina Ionescuwho won the Olympic Games (narrowly and by a few centimeters) against France last Sunday, did not take long to get back to their good habits in the WNBA, with the New York Liberty. By beating the Las Vegas Aces (79-67), the two champions and their team recorded a 23rd victory in 27 matches to validate their place in the playoffs.
The New York Liberty is the first team to qualify, with a month left in the regular season. The victories continue to come thick and fast, even when changing competitions and continents.
“I am very happy to be back in the team”, comments Breanna Stewart. “We did our job. We won the gold medal, did something special. The second half of the season is very important. No excuses: nobody cares that we made the Games, that we played again four days later with a time difference. Even if, when you think about it, it's crazy.”
Other members of Team USA, but for Las Vegas, A'ja Wilson had another big game with 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks, while Kelsey Plum struggled with 13 points on 5/13 shooting. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu had 41 points and 13 rebounds.
“I think we all experience jet lag and fatigue,” Stewart continues, also thinking of his coach, Sandy Brondello, who coached Australia in Paris during the Games. “But we made sure we set the tone. Our teammates really worked hard while we were gone. We have big things to do.”