Breanna Stewart erupts for 36 points as Liberty avoid Commissioners Cup hangover with statement win over Lynx

Championship hangover?What hangover? Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.The Liberty, only a few days removed from winning the Commissioner’s Cup, returned to regularly scheduled programming Friday with a statement win against their rival Lynx.Breanna Stewart made sure there would be no fingers pointed to the team relishing too much in its in-season tournament win after she exploded for a season-high 36 points in the Liberty’s 99-86 win.Stewart was on fire out of the gates.She scored 16 points in the first quarter on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting.

She never took her foot off the gas, continuing to press, attack and frustrate the Lynx.It was clear Stewart wasn’t going to let the Liberty let this one slip away.Stewart was successful in that pursuit.The Lynx were without Napheesa Collier, who’s still on the mend after having surgery on both ankles this offseason.

Minnesota is also waiting for Dorka Juhasz (foot sprain) to make her season debut.Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had an opportunity to make history Friday after she tied Mike Thibault’s WNBA record for career coaching wins earlier this week.She has 379 regular-season victories across her 17 seasons with the Lynx.But the Liberty ensured Reeve will have to wait at least one more game before breaking the record.The Lynx trimmed the Liberty’s 11-point lead down to three in the second quarter.

New York responded by going on a 13-2 run over the last 3:06 of the first half to take a 10-point lead.The Lynx got within eight points of the Liberty once in the third, but that was it.After a rocky two-week stretch of Sabrina Ionescu trying to find her footing, she has now strung together two solid performances.She finished with 17 points and six assists.“I love the compete level,” coach Chris DeMarco previously said of Ionescu.

“As she gets more comfortable out there and accustomed to more 5-on-5, she was ...