Emma Meesseman posted season highs of 24 points and nine rebounds and Jonquel Jones added 21 points and 11 rebounds as the New York Liberty opened a three-game road trip with a 105-97 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Tuesday.
Leonie Fiebich scored 20 points and Sabrina Ionescu added 14 points and six assists as the Liberty (21-11) avenged a 101-99 home loss to the Sparks on July 26.
New York was without second-leading scorer and leading rebounder Breanna Stewart (knee) for the eighth consecutive game, while Nyara Sabally (knee) and Isabelle Harrison (concussion) also were out.
Kelsey Plum scored 26 points and Dearica Hamby added 21 points and eight rebounds as the Sparks lost for just the third time in their past 12 games.
Azura Stevens put up 17 points and Rickea Jackson contributed 16 as Los Angeles (15-17) failed in a bid to reach .500 for the first time since being 1-1 through two games.
The Sparks scored 30 points in the first quarter but managed only 14 in the second when they shot 37.5 percent from the floor and went 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
The Liberty led 50-44 at halftime behind 54.1 percent shooting, with Jones’ 14 points leading the way.
The Sparks pulled to within 74-70 with 1:36 remaining in the third quarter before the Liberty went into the fourth with a 78-72 advantage.
A 3-pointer from Julie Vanloo got Los Angeles to within 78-75 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter before New York took control with a 9-2 run to lead 87-77 with 7:19 on the clock.
The Liberty were never threatened the rest of the way. They shot 55.9 percent from the floor for the game while going 14 of 28 from long distance.
New York not only exacted payback for the loss to L.A. last month, but it rebounded from an 83-71 home loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
The Sparks’ Cameron Brink scored two points in five first-half minutes and did not play in the second half. Brink, the No. 2 overall draft pick in 2024, was playing in her seventh game since missing more than a year following knee surgery.
–Field Level Media
