Liberty Dominate Tempo as Starters Rest for Playoffs

The New York Liberty secured their third consecutive victory with a dominant 106-69 win over the Toronto Tempo on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Breanna Stewart led the charge with a game-high 27 points, while the team's starters were pulled early in the third quarter to manage workloads ahead of the playoffs. Stewart, who was named MVP of the recent FIBA World Cup, played only 22 minutes in the blowout. Coach Chris DeMarco explained the decision was part of a plan to monitor player fatigue, especially for Stewart and forward Leonie Fiebich, who both played heavy minutes for their national teams in Berlin. "We understand its playoff time, and these games matter," DeMarco said pregame. "Some players will play a little bit more, but we have to monitor Stew coming out of Team USA and the World Cup." The Liberty controlled the game from the outset, building an eight-point halftime lead. Stewart then took over in the third quarter, scoring 14 of her points in a stretch where she made five consecutive shots. With the lead extended to 21 points entering the final period, Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, and Jonquel Jones were all benched for the remainder of the game.