Kayla Thornton helps Liberty escape with lopsided win over Mystics

At their best, the Liberty built a 17-point lead.

Sabrina Ionescu hit 3-pointers from 29 and 30 feet.

Their running attack found some fluidity — some normalcy — even as Courtney Vandersloot sat on the bench, with back strain.

But at worst, the Liberty allowed the Mystics to gradually chip away at their significant deficit and take the lead in the fourth quarter.

Breanna Stewart shot 4 of 13 from the field — and 0 of 4 from 3-point range — and Ionescu managed just 24 points after a 15-point opener.

It was still enough to escape with a 90-79 victory Friday night at Barclays Center, but the Liberty’s sixth win of the season and second straight came as a disappointment against the winless Mystics.

Stewart and Jonquel Jones both finished with double-doubles, while Kayla Thornton, starting in place of Vandersloot, finished with 20 points, her most in a game since August 2022.

The dagger also came from Thornton.

She was an unheralded recruit for the Liberty before last season, someone who came off the bench and didn’t generate the same attention as the rest of the superteam.

But with Vandersloot out, Thornton made his first start since 2022 and hit a critical 3 with 2:06 left after Washington cut Liberty’s deficit to four.

The Mystics didn’t get any closer than that.