Liberty Rally to Defeat Sparks in Dramatic Comeback Victory

NEW YORK — The New York Liberty overcame a double-digit deficit to claim an 89-79 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday. Coach Sandy Brondello labeled the contest as a “must win” for the defending champions, especially after losing five of their last seven games.

The Liberty, now 12-5 this season, found their footing in front of nearly 16,000 fans at Barclays Center. They trailed by 11 points during the third quarter but mounted a significant comeback fueled by a 27-6 run.

“It was just a crazy five-minute run for us,” said Sabrina Ionescu, who scored 20 points and contributed six rebounds. “I feel like that has just kind of been the story of our season.”

Natasha Cloud led the Liberty with a season-high 23 points and seven assists. She was instrumental during the pivotal third quarter, scoring 11 points in that stretch. Breanna Stewart added 17 points and 14 rebounds for New York.

The Sparks were ahead 53-42 with just over six minutes left in the third quarter when the Liberty surged back. After Ionescu and Cloud found their rhythm, the game shifted. “Once we were moving, helping each other on the defensive side, our offense just came easy and that’s why we made that big run,” said Kennedy Burke, who chipped in 12 points.

Leonie Fiebich returned to the lineup after competing in EuroBasket, scoring five points. Her three-point play helped tie the game at 53 late in the third quarter.

The Liberty’s strong finish came after a lackluster first half, where they shot just 35.1 percent from the field. Brondello remarked on their slow start, saying, “We got down big, and we weren’t playing good. We were doing silly things.”

Dearica Hamby led the Sparks, who fell to 5-13, with 25 points. Despite the effort, they struggled to maintain their earlier leads and lost their sixth game in seven outings.

The Liberty will look to build on this victory when they face the Seattle Storm on Sunday.