The defending champion New York Liberty welcome newest expansion side Golden State Valkyries to Barclays Center.

Game-high 26 points, along with late free throws from Sabrina Ionescu, helped WNBA champs beat Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever 90-88.

It really was. The defending champion Liberty set a WNBA record with 19 3-pointers (in just 34 attempts) and shot 55.2 percent for the game in, yes, a 99-74 victory in the Sky’s home opener at Wintrust Arena. Chicago did have a plan, Vandersloot said, but you know what Mike Tyson used to say about those.

The New York Liberty celebrated their 2024 WNBA Championship, receiving rings and raising a banner ahead of their season opener vs. the Las Vegas Aces

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It’s also believed that the defending champions are the highest-valued women’s sports franchise in the world. The Chelsea women’s soccer team recently sold equity at a reported $326 million valuation. The WNBA’s Dallas Wings previously brought on investors at a $208 million valuation.

A pair of teams with WNBA championship hopes battled, trading the lead 14 times with 15 ties in a game that came down to the final buzzer. Here's what we learned.

The New York Liberty couldn't miss Thursday night during their 99–74 blowout win over the Chicago Sky. The defending champs shooting clinic was so impressive, it set a WNBA record. New York went 19 for 34 on three-pointers in the victory,