Vandersloot breaks Bird's playoff assists record as Liberty take G1 - ESPN

NEW YORK — It was a historic Sunday afternoon at Barclays Center for rookie Leonie Fiebich and veteran Courtney Vandersloot.

Fiebich had a career-high 21 points, pacing the Liberty in their 83-69 win over the Atlanta Dream in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. Vandersloot, meanwhile, passed Sue Bird to become the WNBA's all-time playoff assist leader.

Vandersloot broke Bird's record with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter. After a steal, she lobbed the ball ahead to a streaking Breanna Stewart, who finished at the rim. It was the 365th playoff assist for Vandersloot. Bird was sitting courtside.

«It's tough to chase Sue,» Vandersloot said. «She's a winner, that's why she has a lot of playoff assists. For her to be in the building, that's pretty special.»

«The way that [Vandersloot] can continue to set people up in many different ways, I've been a [beneficiary] of that,» said Stewart, who also played six seasons with Bird in Seattle. «She's one of the best to ever do it.»

Vandersloot finished the game with four points and three assists, the exact number she needed to pass Bird. She came off the bench for the Liberty, something she hadn't done since 2017.

Fiebich shot 7-for-8 from the field, including 4-for-4 on 3-point attempts, in her first WNBA playoff game. She tied the Liberty record for most points by a rookie in a playoff game and became the eighth rookie to score 20 points this WNBA season.

«I was just happy that we moved the ball and my teammates found me,» Fiebich said. Fiebich made her first five shots from the field, and her four made 3-pointers set a Liberty record for most in a playoff debut.

«They're leaving me open a little bit, they have to guard everybody else on my team,» Fiebich