More than 17,500 fans filled the Barclays Center on Saturday night for what was one of the most anticipated matchups of the week between the Indiana Fever and New York Liberty. And even though the game was being played in the heart of New York, Caitlin Clark and the Fever were reported to have plenty of support in the arena, with fans traveling across the country to see the star guard. So as the game ended in the Liberty’s favor, Sabrina Ionescu couldn’t help but have a cheeky response to the traveling Fever fans.

“I mean, they weren’t loud for very long,” she said, per an X post by Myles Ehrlich, a Liberty beat writer.

As reported by the New York Post, Fever fans were three times the number of the Liberty in their own home stadium. With Fever and Iowa jerseys in hand, the overwhelming number of Fever fans were hoping for autographs from the Indiana stars. According to the report, Fever fans swarmed the arena, travelling great distances. One flew over from Spain, while another drove over 900 miles to reach the arena.

However, while her comment came with a bit of a playful edge, Sabrina Ionescu also acknowledged just how well Indiana fans travel and the kind of support Caitlin Clark continues to receive on the road. But this was still the Liberty’s house, and with all the talk surrounding New York’s struggles this season, they were not about to let the traveling team steal the spotlight.

Although the Fever came out of the gate with plenty of confidence, New York took control of the game as they ended the first quarter with a 33-26 lead. Still, Indiana is not a team known to back down. They responded by outscoring the Liberty in the second quarter to cut their lead to just four points.

The game eventually turned into the back-and-forth battle fans expected. Behind Breanna Stewart, however, the Liberty continued to find answers whenever Indiana threatened to take control. The Liberty entered the fourth quarter up 85-78, but then came the moment that nearly flipped the entire game.

Sophie Cunningham came up with a steal, giving Kelsey Mitchell the chance to knock down a three that tied the game at 100 with under two minutes left. For a moment, the Fever had all the momentum – and their traveling supporters had plenty to cheer about.

But New York responded when it mattered most, and regained the lead to close out the final minutes without allowing Indiana another opening. Sabrina Ionescu dropped 12 points and secured four assists as New York ended the game at 109-102.

“I’m happy our cheers overpowered their cheers, but that’s something that we knew,” Ionescu added.

The Fever may have brought their fanbase to back them up from the stands, but New York made sure the final word belonged to the home crowd. After dropping their previous two meetings with Indiana, the Liberty finally got the win they had been waiting for — and made sure the traveling Fever faithful left Barclays Center a little quieter than they arrived.