WNBA Recaps: Liberty Clinch Commissioner’s Cup Berth Behind Stewart’s Historic Night

Last night’s WNBA slate delivered a mix of history-making defense, emotional returns, and a stark reality check for one of the league’s newest expansion franchises. With Commissioner’s Cup implications on the line, the Eastern Conference hierarchy made a loud statement.

Here is a detailed breakdown of everything that went down on the hardwood:

Sunday Night WNBA Scoreboard

New York Liberty 86, Washington Mystics 64

Stewie Makes History, Sabrina Returns as Liberty Clinch Cup Berth

The New York Liberty (10-4) extended their winning streak to seven games in spectacular fashion at Barclays Center, dismantling the Washington Mystics 86-64 to officially punch their ticket to the Commissioner’s Cup championship game.

A First-Half for the History Books: Breanna Stewart put on an absolute defensive show, finishing the afternoon with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and a career-high 7 blocks. Unbelievably, Stewart racked up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the first half alone. She is only the second player in WNBA history to record a 10-10-5 half, joining Brittney Griner.

Sabrina’s Roaring Welcome Back: The afternoon also marked the highly anticipated return of guard Sabrina Ionescu, who had missed the previous seven games with back soreness. Checking in midway through the first quarter to a standing ovation from the 17,581 fans in attendance, Ionescu immediately stabilized the backcourt. She dished out a trio of beautiful first-quarter assists, including a slick pass that set up a Leonie Fiebich triple to anchor a 20-13 opening-frame lead.

Jonquel Jones Takes Over: After Washington threatened to chip away at the lead early in the third quarter, Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco called a vital timeout. Jonquel Jones responded out of the huddle by scoring seven consecutive points. Jones poured in 12 of her game-high 20 points in the third period alone, effectively putting the game out of reach.

The Mystics’ Perspective: Washington (5-7) was paced by Michaela Onyenwere’s 17 points, but the team had no answers for New York’s length in the paint, where Stewart and Jones held the door firmly shut.

Stat of the Night: With Ionescu back on the floor, last night marked the very first time during the 2026 regular season that the New York Liberty had their entire roster active and healthy.

Atlanta Dream 102, Toronto Tempo 77

Dream Blowout Expansion Tempo on the Road

In the first-ever meeting between these two franchises, the Atlanta Dream (9-4) traveled north of the border and handed the expansion Toronto Tempo (7-6) a harsh 102-77 reality check in front of a packed house at the Coca-Cola Coliseum.

Backcourt Clinic: Atlanta’s backcourt duo of Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray completely dictated the terms of this game. The Dream used their superior size and continuity to smother Toronto along the perimeter, turning defensive stops into a track meet on the fast break.

Neutralizing Sykes: Toronto entered the matchup as one of the league’s feel-good stories, riding hot guard play from Brittney Sykes, who has been flirting with a top-five scoring average this season. However, Atlanta’s physical defense constantly denied Sykes her preferred spots on the floor, forcing the expansion squad into uncharacteristic turnovers and stalling their half-court offense.

Cruising in the Second Half: After establishing a comfortable double-digit cushion by halftime, Atlanta refused to let the passionate Canadian crowd back into the game. The Dream’s ball movement was pristine, slicing through Toronto’s rotations to finish with a highly efficient 25-point victory on the road.

With the victory, Atlanta solidifies its positioning near the top of the Eastern Conference standings, while Toronto will look to regroup and find answers as teams begin to solve their early-season schemes.