Associated Press

Led by Natasha Cloud with four 3-pointers and 18 points, the defending champion New York Liberty broke the WNBA regular-season record by making 19 3s in a 99-74 victory over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night.

Eight of nine Liberty players who attempted a 3-pointer made at least one from deep as they finished 19 for 34 (56%). The previous team and WNBA highs were 18 3-pointers in a regular-season game. The Las Vegas Aces made 23 3s in a playoff game in 2022.

Cloud made 4 of 5 from deep and had eight assists. Kennedy Burke had 17 points off the bench, going 4 of 4 on 3s. Sabrina Ionescu scored 16 points, Breanna Stewart 12 and Jonquel Jones 11 for New York (2-0).

New York shot 55% overall and made 16 of 17 free throws.

Chicago’s Angel Reese was 0-for-8 shooting and scored two points. It was the first time since 2021 that she failed to make at least one basket, ending a streak of 136 games, college and pro. She went 0 of 6 for Maryland in a 2021 Sweet 16 loss to Texas.

Reese had 12 rebounds, eight on offense, and five of Chicago’s 23 turnovers.

The Liberty led 28-23 after one quarter and 36-30 in the second period before closing the half on a 17-2 run.

Chicago (0-2) scored the first eight points of the third quarter but was never closer than that 13-point deficit. Cloud scored eight points in New York’s 13-4 run in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter for an 88-58 lead.

Rachel Banham led Chicago with 15 points. Fourteen-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who played for New York last season when the Liberty won their first WNBA championship, scored 14 for the Sky

Howard makes up for Clark’s off-night as Fever beat Dream: Natasha Howard scored 26 points and the Indiana Fever overcame Caitlin Clark’s cold long-distance shooting to beat the Atlanta Dream 81-76 before a sellout crowd on Thursday night to split a two-game series this week.

Atlanta won 91-90 at Indiana on Tuesday night.

Clark missed each of her five 3-pointers. That ended a streak of 140 games, including the WNBA regular season and playoffs and the bulk of her college career at Iowa, with at least one 3. The last time Clark was held without a 3 was Jan. 13, 2022, when she went 0 for 6 against Purdue during her sophomore season.

Clark and teammate Aliyah Boston each went to the bench with four fouls early in the third quarter. Clark finished with 11 points with six assists.

Kelsey Mitchell’s 3-pointer gave Indiana a 76-75 lead. Clark found Boston for a layup, only her second field goal, that extended the lead to 79-76.

Rhyne Howard led Atlanta with 24 points.

Clark said before the game she was enjoying the NBA Indiana Pacers’ playoff run. She said she took video of herself at she reacted to Tyrese Haliburton’s jumper that sent Game 1 of the Pacers’ Eastern Conference finals against the New York Knicks into overtime before Indiana took the 138-135 win on Wednesday night.

Sophie Cunningham scored nine points in her debut for Indiana after missing the first two games with a right ankle sprain. Coach Stephanie White said Cunningham was cleared to play with no restriction on her minutes.

The Dream announced guard Jordin Canada, out with a right knee injury, will resume basketball activities “in the coming weeks.”

The Dream moved the game to State Farm Arena, home to the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and said shortly before tipoff that the 16,888-seat venue was sold out. The Dream’s normal home, Gateway Center Arena, holds only 3,500.