Liberty returns to form after loss in Las Vegas
The New York Liberty went into last night’s (Wednesday’s) game against the Phoenix Mercury at the Barclays Center as first in the Eastern Conference at 11-4 and with the second-best record overall in the WNBA.
After accumulating six wins in seven games, the Liberty headed to Las Vegas last Thursday to face the Aces, the only team with a better record in the WNBA this season. The Aces have been virtually unstoppable. They were 15-1 going into their matchup last night against the Dallas Wings. The defending WNBA Champions showed their dominance versus the Liberty, prevailing 98–81. All five starters on the Aces’ scored in double figures. Four Liberty players scored in double figures, but as is common in Las Vegas, the house won.
The Liberty continued its West Coast road trip Sunday in Seattle, where they created sunny skies over the Storm, coming away with a 81–66 win. Liberty star Breanna Stewart made her return to Seattle—she played for the Storm her entire WNBA career before signing with the Liberty in February and won two championships with the Storm, in 2018 and 2020. There are additional ties between the teams: Four Storm players are former Libertys, including Sami Whitcomb, who was an integral part of New York’s playoff runs in 2021 and 2022.
“The way that we moved the ball is kind of like the standard of what we want to do,” said Stewart after the victory over the Storm. “Last game, [versus the Aces], we struggled in a lot of different areas, but assists were one thing that stuck out a little bit. [We’re] getting back to that and making sure we finish this road trip strong.”
This was the Liberty’s second time playing the Storm in Seattle this season. Stewart admitted the first time was emotional for her, but she has to continue to focus on where she is now. “I’ll always appreciate Seattle for what we’ve been able to do together, but I’m happy to be in New York,” she said.
After the win over the Storm, Courtney Vandersloot and Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello praised Sabrina Ionescu, who was a vital presence despite not having her best shooting night. “Sabrina impacts the game in other ways,” said Vandersloot. “We’re just different when she’s on the floor, whether she’s making shots or not.”The WNBA All-Star Game will take place on July 15 in Las Vegas. In addition to Stewart, who was voted in by the fans and will be an All-Star captain, Liberty players Ionescu and Vandersloot were selected to play. This will be the first time since 2003 that the Liberty will have three players in an All-Star Game.
The Liberty will host the Storm at Barclays Center on Saturday afternoon and be in Indiana next Wednesday to meet the Fever before a six-day All-Star break.
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