NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 31 points and 10 rebounds to help the short-handed New York Liberty open their season with a 106-75 rout of the Connecticut Sun on Friday night.

Marine Johannes added 17 points for New York, which was missing star guard Sabrina Ionescu, who is out with a left foot injury she suffered last Sunday in a preseason game against the Sun. Rebecca Allen has a left leg injury and Satou Sabally has a cyst. Both free-agent additions missed the opener as well.

New York still ran away from Connecticut early, going up 36-13 after the first quarter. Stewart had 10 points in the opening period, making all four of her shots. Julie Vanloo, who the Liberty signed as a hardship player a night before the game since they were down to seven available players, had seven points in the first quarter.

Vanloo finished with 12 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds.

The Liberty played a touching tribute video after the first quarter for former player Kennedy Burke, who is now with the Sun. She received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd as tears streamed down her face.

Connecticut never got back in the game after the initial onslaught. It was 66-37 at the half — the Liberty’s highest-scoring first half in three years.

Diamond Miller scored 16 points to lead Connecticut and Brittney Griner added 13 in her Sun debut.

The Liberty were celebrating the league's 30th anniversary as one of its original franchises. New York used a retro court design from the franchise's time at Madison Square Garden. The Liberty also brought out beloved former mascot Maddie, to the delight of the crowd. Liberty Ring of Honor member Kym Hampton sang the national anthem.

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Nate Tibbetts, Natalie Nakase and Stephanie White will assist Kara Lawson coaching the U.S. women's basketball team at the FIBA Women's World Cup in September.

The trio of WNBA coaches were on staff for the World Cup qualifying tournament in March.

“Over the last several months, I’ve seen the incredible impact Natalie, Nate and Stephanie have each had on the USA Women’s National Team program,” USA Basketball Women’s National Team managing director Sue Bird said. “They have elite basketball minds and are all leaders who understand what it takes to represent the U.S. at the highest level."

The U.S. has won the last four World Cup titles and will try to make it five in a row in Berlin. The team will be selected this summer and could feature young stars Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers to go along with four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.

Tibbetts is in his third season as head coach of the Phoenix Mercury while Nakase is in her second year with the Golden State Valkyries. White is in her second year in charge of the Indiana Fever.

Nakase was the WNBA Coach of the Year last season after leading the expansion Valkyries to the playoffs. She has a decade of NBA, WNBA and international coaching experience. Before taking over at Golden State, she served as an assistant for the Las Vegas Aces, Los Angeles Clippers and Agua Caliente Clippers. She also was the head coach of the Saitama Broncos (Japan) and Wolfenbuttel Wildcats (Germany) and assistant coach for the Tokyo Apache.

Tibbetts guided the Mercury to the WNBA Finals last season before they lost to the Aces. He joined the team in 2024 after spending 12 years as an NBA assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Orlando Magic.

In 2025, White led the Fever to their first WNBA Commissioner’s Cup and deepest postseason run since 2015 as the team advanced to the WNBA semifinals. White’s first stint with the Fever, where she served as both an assistant coach and head coach over six seasons from 2011-2016, included five consecutive WNBA semifinal appearances, two WNBA Finals and the 2012 WNBA Championship.

White earned 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year honors with Connecticut after leading the Sun to the WNBA semifinals.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball