Liberty inch closer to clinching No. 1 seed with victory over Storm

The Liberty returned home from a three-game western swing looking to ensure as many postseason games as possible at Barclays Center.

The WNBA-leading Libs improved their league-best record to 28-6 — and lowered their magic number to clinch the top seed in the postseason to four — with a 77-70 victory Thursday night over the Seattle Storm before a Brooklyn crowd that featured Flavor Flav and Dwyane Wade.

“I think all the games we’re playing now we’re using as a tuneup for the playoffs and making sure our intent is correct and our mindset is correct,” center Jonquel Jones said. “We want to be able to play in front of our fans. We understand how much they drive us. … So we know we can do it, and it’s a goal of ours.”

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 18 points in her return to the starting lineup following July knee surgery as the Liberty extended their lead over the Connecticut Sun and the Minnesota Lynx to 3 ¹/₂ games with six to play.

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Sabrina Ionescu contributed 17 points and eight assists, and Jones netted 15 points with eight rebounds and five blocked shots. The team’s leading scorer, Breanna Stewart, missed her first eight shots of the night but scored 10 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter.

A first-overall finish would guarantee Sandy Brondello’s star-studded squad home-court advantage throughout the playoffs in their quest for the franchise’s elusive first championship.

“Trying to stay No. 1, I think that’s at the top of our list, but still playing good basketball and peaking without having to overplay anyone,” Brondello said. “Now we’ve got our full team back together, and still working on all those rotations, but we’ll use the next [six] games to make sure we’re ready to go once the playoffs do start.”

The first-place Libs, who clinched a playoff berth with a win last week in Las Vegas , were the No. 2 seed in the playoffs last year. They dropped the first two games of the WNBA Finals to the Aces on the way to losing the series in four games.

Breanna Stewart scores 32 against old team in Liberty win over Storm

The Liberty have the most appearances in the finals without a championship (five), and they are the only remaining original franchise in the league without a title.

“I think that’s the experience of what we went through last year,” Brondello said. “Being on our home court, we feel like we play great basketball here. Our home crowd is awesome.

“But having it throughout the playoffs, I still don’t look too far ahead … but we would like that.”

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Laney-Hamilton initially returned in a reserve role on the three-game road trip in her comeback from right knee surgery, but she moved back into the starting lineup Thursday, marking the first time since July 6 Brondello employed her regular starting five.

Stewart missed all five field-goal attempts and was held to one point in the first half against her former team, while Ionescu (12), Jones (10) and Laney-Hamilton (nine) combined for 31 as the Liberty carried a 40-36 lead into intermission.

Stewart’s struggles continued to start the third, and Seattle guard Skylar Diggins-Smith (21 points) buried a 3-pointer as the Storm grabbed a 53-51 lead.

But Stewart finally connected on a layup in the final minute of the third, and the Liberty closed the quarter with a 6-0 spurt for a 62-57 advantage before long-range buckets by Laney-Hamilton and Stewart extended the run to 17-2 and the cushion to 11 early in the fourth.

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