New York Liberty First Basket Stats 2026: Who Scores First
Breanna Stewart scored the Liberty’s first basket more than anyone in 2026: 12 times in 47 starts, or 26% of the games they started. Jonquel Jones was next with 11. The Liberty made the game’s first field goal in 60% of their 50 games and won 60% of their opening tipoffs. Everything below is counted from the play-by-play of every 2026 game (330 regular season, 16 playoffs, 1 play-in).
Who scored the first basket for the Liberty in 2026
First basket for team is the first field goal by any NYL player; first basket of game is the game’s first field goal by anyone. Rates are per game started.
| Player | Starts | First basket for NYL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breanna Stewart | 47 | 12 | 26% | 5 | 11% |
| Jonquel Jones | 48 | 11 | 23% | 9 | 19% |
| Pauline Astier | 44 | 10 | 23% | 5 | 11% |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 36 | 8 | 22% | 6 | 17% |
| Leonie Fiebich | 27 | 4 | 15% | 2 | 7% |
| Marine Johannes | 17 | 3 | 18% | 2 | 12% |
| Satou Sabally | 4 | 1 | 25% | 1 | 25% |
| Rebecca Allen | 12 | 1 | 8% | 0 | 0% |
How often the Liberty scored first
| Split | Games | Scored first | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| All games | 50 | 30 | 60% |
| Home | 25 | 16 | 64% |
| Away | 25 | 14 | 56% |
| Regular season | 44 | 25 | 57% |
| Play-in | 1 | 1 | 100% |
| Playoffs | 5 | 4 | 80% |
Opening tipoff
| Jumper | Tipoffs | Won | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonquel Jones | 47 | 29 | 62% |
| Xu Han | 1 | 0 | 0% |
| Team | 48 | 29 | 60% |
How the Liberty’s first baskets were scored
| Method | First baskets | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Layup | 23 | 46% |
| 3-pointer | 17 | 34% |
| Other 2-pointer (jumper, hook, tip) | 10 | 20% |
2025
| Player | Starts | First basket for NYL | Rate | First basket of game | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonquel Jones | 0 | 12 | – | 6 | – |
| Sabrina Ionescu | 0 | 10 | – | 7 | – |
| Natasha Cloud | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – |
| Breanna Stewart | 0 | 5 | – | 3 | – |
| Leonie Fiebich | 0 | 5 | – | 1 | – |
| Rebekah Gardner | 0 | 2 | – | 2 | – |
| Kennedy Burke | 0 | 2 | – | 0 | – |
| Nyara Sabally | 0 | 1 | – | 1 | – |
Who scores the first basket most often for the Liberty?
Breanna Stewart, with 12 of the Liberty’s first baskets in 2026 (26% of their 47 starts), ahead of Jonquel Jones with 11.
How often do the Liberty score first?
The Liberty made the first field goal in 30 of 50 games in 2026 (60%): 64% at home and 56% on the road.
Who takes the opening tipoff for the Liberty?
Jonquel Jones took 47 of the Liberty’s 48 opening tips in 2026 and won 62% of them.
Is Breanna Stewart a good first basket bet?
That depends on the price. A player who scores first for their team in 26% of starts is worth a bet only when a book prices them below that, after adjusting for tonight’s lineup and opponent. Our models make that comparison every 30 minutes for every WNBA game; see WNBA first basket picks.
Source: WNBA play-by-play and box scores, 2026. Updated October 13, 2026. See the WNBA first basket leaders for every team, or all stats.