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tRY IT NOWWASHINGTON — Talk about a way to start a title defense.
Despite losing Jonquel Jones with an injury early Thursday night, the reigning champion Liberty remained undefeated as they beat the Mystics 86-78.
The Liberty improved to 8-0 on the season — the best start in franchise history.
Breanna Stewart had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Kennedy Burke remained a force off the bench, adding 12 points after going 4-for-4 from deep.
In the first quarter, Sabrina Ionescu became the franchise’s all-time leader in 3-point makes, surpassing Crystal Robinson.
Ionescu sank a pair of 3s to bring her career total to 401.
Jones appeared to roll her right ankle on a layup.
She collapsed to the floor, where she laid in agony while the game continued on the opposite side of the floor.
When play stopped at the 2:56 mark, her teammates and several Liberty staffers swarmed her.
It was clear that Jones was in pain.
She ultimately was assisted off the floor and went back to the locker room for further assessment.
Whether Jones will be sidelined beyond Thursday is unclear.
For the first time since the season opener, the Liberty were down at the end of the first quarter.
But the Mystics’ five-point lead didn’t last long.
Without Jones, the Liberty outscored the Mystics 32-12 in the second quarter and led by 15 at the break.
The biggest difference between the first and second quarter was effort.
The Liberty not only won the rebounding battle, but they also had four offensive boards, including two from Isabelle Harrison.
Rebekah Gardner provided a boost of the bench, too, scoring seven of her nine points in the second quarter.
The Mystics, led by Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron, never allowed the Liberty to get too comfortable.
Washington trimmed a 16-point deficit to four with less than a minute to go in the fourth.
But Stewart went 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the final minute to secure the win.
It is said that winning back-to-back titles is one of the hardest things to do in sports.
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Not only are you the team to beat the second time around, but laxity can wreak havoc on a talented team.
The Liberty have shown complacency in spurts throughout the first eight games of the season, but they have always found a way to snap out of it.
The Lynx, last year’s runner-up, are undefeated, too.
But the Liberty have been so dominant they look to be on a tier of their own.
The Liberty return to action Tuesday when they host the Sky.