Image Credit: WNBA
BROOKLYN, NY — The New York Liberty opened the WNBA’s 30th anniversary season in dominant fashion Friday night, overwhelming the Connecticut Sun, 106-75, before a sold-out crowd of 17,615 at Barclays Center.
Despite missing multiple key starters, including Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally, New York showcased its depth, pace, and offensive firepower from the opening tip, racing out to an early lead and never looking back.
Breanna Stewart led the Liberty with 31 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks while also surpassing 6,000 career regular-season points. Stewart scored the first basket of the 2026 WNBA season, helping ignite a relentless first-quarter surge that buried Connecticut early as New York exploded for 36 first-quarter points—its highest-scoring opening quarter since 2023—behind transition offense, aggressive defense, and sharp ball movement.
The Liberty forced five turnovers in the opening period and turned those mistakes into easy fast-break opportunities, finishing the night with a 19-1 advantage in fast-break points.
Marine Johannes provided a major spark from the perimeter, finishing with 17 points and five three-pointers, while French rookie Pauline Astier impressed in her WNBA debut with five early points and four assists after earning a surprise start.
Perhaps the biggest surprise came from veteran guard Julie Vanloo, who arrived in New York on a red-eye flight from Los Angeles less than 24 hours before tip-off. Vanloo nearly recorded a triple-double in her Liberty debut, finishing with 12 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds while seamlessly fitting into Chris DeMarco’s offense.
“I think that, knowing that this is a season opener, home opener… we wanted to punch first,” Stewart said postgame. “This is us turning the page and focusing on what we have now, making sure that we start strong in the season.”
DeMarco, who earned his first win as Liberty head coach, praised his team’s readiness despite a chaotic lead-up to opening night.
“For a coach, there’s always things you could do better,” she said. “But just the pride I have for this team and the hectic few weeks it’s been… for them to be ready and go out there and give that kind of effort and start, I was really proud of them.”
DeMarco, who comes to Brooklyn after spending over a decade as an assistant coach with the Golden State Warriors, became the second head coach in WNBA history to win by 30 or more points in his head coaching debut.
Connecticut struggled to keep pace offensively throughout the night, shooting just 38.6% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc. Diamond Miller led the Sun with 16 points, while Brittney Griner added 13 points and six rebounds in the loss.
Chris DeMarco earned his first career WNBA win as a head coach Friday night in the Liberty’s win over the Sun in Brooklyn – Image Credit: WNBA
The Sun increased their physicality in the second half, creating a choppy third quarter filled with fouls and stoppages. Stewart acknowledged the difficulty players and officials faced adjusting to the tone of the game.
“It was extremely physical,” Stewart said. “We were just trying to figure out where we were on the spectrum.”
Still, New York never allowed Connecticut to seriously threaten the lead. The Liberty shot 52.2% from the floor, totaled 26 assists, and controlled the game with relentless pace and spacing.
For DeMarco, the atmosphere inside Barclays Center stood out most in his debut.
“Watching the crowd going nuts in that first quarter… this is exactly why I love this game,” she said. “It’s watching the players figure it out and compete.
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