Stewart scores 22, reserves contribute big to lead Liberty past Fire 100–82.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Breanna Stewart scored 22 points and a deep New York bench powered a strong bounce-back effort as the New York Liberty defeated the expansion Portland Fire 100–82 on Thursday night, avenging a narrow loss earlier in the week. The Fire (1–2) had stunned New York 98–96 on Tuesday, but the Liberty flipped the script behind balanced scoring and a dominant third quarter. New York (3–1) was also without key starters Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally for a fourth straight game, yet still overwhelmed Portland with depth and ball movement. Former University of Portland standout Alex Fowler made an immediate impact in her Liberty debut under a developmental contract, scoring 12 points off the bench. The New York reserves combined for 41 points and knocked down eight three-pointers, with Rebekah Gardner adding 14 and Julie Vanloo contributing nine on 3-of-3 shooting from deep. Point guard replacement Pauline Astier continued her strong stretch with 20 points, pushing her total to 67 over four games. New York finished the night shooting 51% (34 of 67) and tallied 32 assists, including a career-high 11 from Marine Johannes. Megan Gustafson led Portland’s bench effort with 14 points, while Haley Jones added 10. Starters Nyadiew Puoch scored 13, and both Bridget Carleton and Emily Engstler chipped in 11 apiece. The game was tight early, with nine lead changes in the first half. A layup from Betnijah Laney-Hamilton helped New York take a slim 39–37 edge at the break. The Liberty then seized control in the third quarter, shooting 11 of 14 from the field and outscoring Portland 31–16 to open a comfortable lead that ballooned to as many as 22 in the fourth. Next up, New York will rest for a week before hosting Golden State on Thursday, while Portland continues its opening homestand against Connecticut on Monday.