Stewart leads Liberty to 98-77 win over the Fever as Clark missed game with groin injury

NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart had 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the New York Liberty to a 98-77 win Wednesday night over the Indiana Fever, who played without star guard Caitlin Clark.

Clark missed the game after injuring her right groin on Tuesday night in the final minute of the game against Connecticut in Boston. Clark has a busy weekend ahead as Indiana is hosting the WNBA All-Star Game and she's slated to compete in the 3-point contest and is captain of one of the two teams.

Sabrina Ionescu, who will also be in the 3-point contest, added 15 points and nine assists for the Liberty (15-6).

Stewart got the Liberty off to a strong start as they led 32-24 after one quarter and were up 15 at the half. The Liberty's All-Star forward had 13 points, nine rebounds and five assists by the break.

New York put the game away in the third quarter behind Stewart, whose three-point play with 3:57 left made it 71-48 much to the delight of the crowd of 17,371. The Fever could only get within 15 the rest of the way.

Kelsey Mitchell led Indiana (12-11) with 16 points. The Fever fell to 4-6 when Clark has missed a regular season game this season.

New York was still missing star center Jonquel Jones. She said she plans to be back for the Liberty's first game after the All-Star break on Tuesday which is also against Indiana. She's been sidelined with a sprained ankle for about a month.

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New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu, right, drives past Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Indiana Fever's Aliyah Boston (7) defends New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart (30) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu (20) drives past Indiana Fever's Natasha Howard (6) and Aliyah Boston (7) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark talks to fans before a WNBA basketball game against the New York Liberty Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Liberty's Breanna Stewart (30) shoots over Indiana Fever's Natasha Howard (6) during the first half of a WNBA basketball game Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)