Loyd, Stewart lead Storm to 99-83 rout of Liberty

Aug 21, 2021, 02:01 am

NEW YORK -- — Jewell Loyd scored 29 points and Breanna Stewart added 19 to help the Seattle Storm rout the New York Liberty 99-83 on Friday night.

The teams also played Wednesday night and the Liberty came away with a four-point win, rallying from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The Storm didn't have Sue Bird and Stewart in the lineup for that game as the pair missed the team's last two games — both losses — while resting after helping the U.S. win a seventh consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.

Stewart also spent time at home with wife Marta Xargay Casademont and their new baby daughter Ruby, who was born via surrogate Aug. 9.

Now with the two back in the lineup, the Storm (17-7) turned a one-point halftime deficit into a blowout. The game was tied at 59 midway through the third quarter when Seattle closed the quarter on a 17-4 run. Loyd and Stewart each scored six points during the burst.

The Liberty (11-13) couldn't recover in the fourth quarter.

Sami Whitcomb scored 15 of her 26 points in the first quarter to lead New York.

Bird, a New York native, received a warm ovation from the crowd when she was introduced before the game. This was her first time playing at Barclays Center. She missed the team's one game in 2019 that was played in Brooklyn because she was recovering from a knee surgery.

She scored the 6,500th point of her career and finished the game with 10 points and six assists.

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