After the New York Liberty had their way with the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces at home on Sunday at the Barclays Center, cruising to a 111-71 victory as the Aces rested A’ja Wilson, Chelsea Gray, and Jackie Young to the disappointment of the fans that expected to see the star trio, particularly Wilson, who entered the league’s slate of games last night first in points per game (26.3) and third in rebounds (9.8), they were the recipients of a spanking on Tuesday in Indiana.
The Fever controlled the game from the outset, pushing the pace and shooting 3-pointers with frequency and proficiency in both halfcourt sets and in transition, knocking down a blistering 64% of their attempts (16-25) in taking down the Liberty 106-92. All-Star Kelsey Mitchell, arguably the most dynamic guard in the WNBA, led the Fever with 28 points, going 4-4 from behind the 3-point line, and her backcourt partner, fellow All-Star Caitlin Clark, netted 22. Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu scored 19 apiece for the Liberty.
The Liberty, who entered Tuesday’s matchup having won seven of their previous eight games, are 20-14 and the league’s No. 7 overall seed. The 21-12 Fever are the No. 4 seed. The top eight seeds of the league’s 15 teams will advance to the postseason.
“I think everyone knows we’re not a traditional eight seed,” said Ionescu. “Even if we are an eighth seed, like we know we can go out and we’re playing our best basketball, you know, especially in a series, I feel like we can go up against anybody. But it’s also understanding how important the wins are, and we can’t let easy ones slide. And I think, you know, you look back at some of the ones we lost that we should have won and you’re like, oh, we’d be at a completely different position if we took care of those.”
Liberty first-year head coach Chris DeMarco addressed the team’s defense after the Fever shot 54% (37-69) against them.
“If we are going to commit to taking the paint away, which I think we’ve done a pretty good job of, as evidenced by our rebounding and our lack of putting teams on the line, I think at times, people are going to get open threes and of course we have to do a better job and get better contests, but a tough game for us in the way they shot the ball,” he said.
New York Liberty legends were honored at the end of the first quarter of Sunday’s game in celebration of the franchise’s 30th season. Honorees include Liberty alumnae and current Aces Head Coach Becky Hammon, Kym Hampton, ESPN WNBA Analyst Rebecca Lobo, Teresa Weatherspoon, and Sue Wicks.
The Liberty, who will take on the Los Angeles Sparks tonight in Brooklyn, will play six more games before the 17-day league-wide break for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, which will be held in Berlin, Germany, from September 4-13. Stewart is the lone Liberty on the U.S. roster.
The Liberty will be in Connecticut to play the Sun on Sunday. This is the Sun’s final season in Connecticut, as they are moving to Houston. They will adopt the name Comets. The Comets were founded in 1997 as a WNBA charter team with Hall of Famers Cynthia Cooper, Tina Thompson, and Sheryl Swoopes, as the league’s first dynasty, winning the WNBA’s first four titles and defeating the Liberty in three of the finals — 1997, 1999, and 2000. Cooper was named MVP in all four.
