Breanna Stewart becomes 1st player in WNBA history with 3 40-point games in a season

Breanna Stewart scored 42 points in New York's 100-89 victory over the Indiana Fever on Sunday, becoming the first player in WNBA history with three 40-point games in a season.

The 28-year-old was expected to make an immediate impact on the New York Liberty when she joined the team during free agency, and she keeps delivering. Her record scoring was accompanied by six rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocks.

The win marked the Liberty's sixth straight victory. It improved the team's record to 24-6 and set a franchise record for wins.

The showing likely replicated a familiar feeling for Fever fans, who watched Stewart set the Liberty's single-game scoring record in a 45-point performance against the Fever in May. The WNBA record for points in a game is 53, set by Liz Cambage when she played for the Dallas Wings in 2018.

On Sunday, the Liberty were also powered by Jonquel Jones' 15-point, 12-rebound double-double and Courtney Vandersloot's season-high 14 assists. With 10 points on 2-of-5 shooting from 3-point range, Sabrina Ionescu joined Kelsey Plum and Diana Taurasi as the only WNBA players to have 100 three-pointers in a season.

Indiana was led by Kelsey Mitchell and Erica Wheeler who scored 22 and 21 points, respectively. Rookie forward Aliyah Boston notched 17 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Boston also had two blocks, continuing to be a presence in the paint with highlight plays like one against Jones, the 2021 MVP:

Next, the Liberty will face the Las Vegas Aces in the Commissioner's Cup Championship at Michelob ULTRA Arena on Tuesday in Vegas.

Aces star A'ja Wilson joined Stewart as a unanimous All-WNBA first-team selection last season as each led their teams as rival All-Star captains last month. The Liberty are 1-1 against the reigning champion Aces this season.