Ionescu scores career-high 37 points as Liberty roll past Dream

Sabrina Ionescu scored a career-high 37 points, including 20 points in the second quarter, and the visiting New York Liberty defeated the Atlanta Dream 106-83 on Friday night.

Ionescu made a franchise-record and career-high eight three-pointers, the last putting the Liberty at the 100-point mark for the first time this season. She made 10 of 18 shots from the field, including eight of 13 three-pointers and added nine-of-10 from the free-throw line.

Breanna Stewart had 25 points and nine rebounds, Jonquel Jones had 11 points and Courtney Vandersloot added 11 assists for New York (5-2).

Sabrina Ionescu understood the assignment ‼️<a href="https://twitter.com/sabrina_i20?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sabrina_i20</a> dropped a career-high 37 PT's and set a franchise record with 8 3PM's to help uplift the <a href="https://twitter.com/nyliberty?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nyliberty</a> over the Dream<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MoreThanGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MoreThanGame</a> <a href="https://t.co/265o8ud8o4">pic.twitter.com/265o8ud8o4</a>

Allisha Gray scored 17 points, Rhyne Howard 15 and Cheyenne Parker 12 for Atlanta (2-4).

Atlanta trailed 61-39 at halftime but closed to within 67-60 late in the third quarter. A steal and fast break layup by Marine Johannes put the Liberty up by nine, and New York finished the quarter on a 10-0 run. The Liberty added six points to their lead in the fourth quarter.

Haley Jones hit a three-pointer, got a rebound at the other end and hit a short jumper to draw Atlanta into a 33-all tie midway through the second quarter. But the Dream never took the lead and New York responded with a 14-1 run in which Ionescu scored 10 points. Her 20 points in the quarter were two shy of the WNBA