17,758. That’s the number of fans who attended the jam-packed Barclays Center on Thursday. The New York Liberty were battling it out against the Chicago Sky. While some may even credit the high turnout to the presence of Angel Reese, basketball seemed to be the real winner in the end. Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, and the Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello got down to chat with the media in the post-match press conference when they were asked about the support they got on their home court.

Ionescu looked very pleased with the assistance from the cheering crowd and spoke at length about how it impacted her game. “I mean, it’s amazing they were dialed in. They helped us when we were on our run, it felt like you know the ground was shaking, how excited they were continuing to lift us up…I think being able to see how committed they are to wanting to watch us play and we don’t take any… any of these moments for granted. Like we understand what a blessing it is to be able to play at home in front of 17,000 fans,” Ionescu stated, via the postgame presser.

“This is a game you got to show up and… and understand that you’re playing. You know potentially for the first time in front of a new fan and what lasting impact do you want to leave on someone that’s coming. And understanding that we have the potential to do that and obviously very thankful for the fans that show up for us every single day,” the 26-year-old added.

There were multiple moments when the crowd pumped in energy inside the Liberty stars like when the score was 38-33 in favor of the Chicago Sky and the New York Liberty forward Kayla Thornton made a steal against Marina Mabrey. The crowd instantly went berserk watching their star win the ball.

The game was important for another reason as the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese was playing against the Liberty. Reese notably is one of the most popular rookies in the W who has helped take the league to new heights in terms of popularity and revenue. Hence, a lot of people must have come in to watch the much-anticipated clash. The Liberty ultimately won the game by a 91-76 margin though the match was equally poised and could have gone either way.

New York Liberty win the tough fight against the Chicago Sky

The first quarter went in favor of the Sky as they led by a 22-19 margin. The Liberty who were the runner-ups last season looked to be having a hard time but made a comeback from the next quarter onwards. The second quarter had the Liberty edging past the Sky by a narrow margin of 19-18. The third quarter was too won by the Liberty who added 25 points in response to the Sky’s 22.

However, it was the fourth quarter where we got a clear winner as the Sandy Brondello team scored 28 points and restricted the Sky to only 14, winning the game by a 91-76 margin.

Perhaps, it was the crowds’ applause that instilled a spirit of competitiveness in Ionescu and the team. And hopefully, in the upcoming games, the Liberty will continue to give tough competition to the opposition.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.