New York Liberty fans are eating well right now. The defending WNBA champs rolled into Wintrust Arena on Thursday, May 22, and casually steamrolled the Chicago Sky, 99-74.
And while the scoreboard told one story, the sideline told another, a hilarious one. Cameras caught New York stars Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart roasting their former teammate Courtney Vandersloot after she bricked a free throw. It was all in good fun, but they didn’t hold back.
Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart Bring the Heat From the Bench
Things were already getting away from Chicago by the second quarter. After trailing by just five points in the first, the Sky completely unraveled in the second, being outscored 25-9 and suddenly staring down a blowout.
But amid the chaos, there was one moment that grabbed everyone’s attention: Vandersloot standing at the line, trying to stop the bleeding and missing again.
That’s when the Liberty’s bench came alive. Ionescu and Stewart, sitting just a few feet away, went full drama mode. Clapping their hands, calling out Vandersloot — trolling reactions that would’ve earned an Oscar in another universe.
Vandersloot couldn’t help but smile; seemingly, even she had to admit it was hilarious. And when you’ve missed your first four free throws of the game, sometimes laughter is the only cure.
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Moments like this show the camaraderie and chemistry this Liberty squad has built over time. The team is loaded, sure, but it’s the community that makes them deadly.
Statement Win Sets the Stage for Fever Showdown
Stat-wise, Ionescu had a solid game — 16 points with five dimes, two boards in only 20 minutes. Stewart did her thing with 12 points, but this game wasn’t about numbers. It was about making a statement, and New York made theirs loud and clear; they aren’t just back, they’re having fun while doing it.
Chicago, meanwhile, couldn’t keep up. The Sky hung around early but had no answers once New York turned on the jets. Vandersloot’s free-throw funk didn’t help either, and the Sky’s bench couldn’t generate much firepower to close the gap.
Now, all eyes shift to Saturday, May 24. That’s when New York heads to Indianapolis to face Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. It’s going to be loud, it’s gonna be packed, and it’s probably going to break the internet. If Ionescu and Stewart were this fired up in Chicago, imagine the energy when they step into Clark’s house.
