The streak continues. The New York Liberty took on the Washington Mystics Sunday afternoon in Brooklyn. The team secured their spot in the Commissioner’s Cup Final and extended their winning streak to seven with a dominant victory. Things are looking up for New York and as the road gets tougher, the foundation they’ve built will help guide them.
The opponent tonight is in a bad way. The Chicago Sky got off to a good start, but have struggled in recent weeks. They’ve lost three straight games and eight
out of their last nine following an overtime defeat to the Indiana Fever.
Where to follow the game
USA Network is the place to be. Tip after 8 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is questionable with left knee injury management.
Rickea Jackson is out for the season after recently tearing her ACL. Dijonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot are out as well.
The game
Who will the Liberty face in the Cup Final on June 30? We’ll find out at the end of the night as the Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx are battling for the right to represent the Western Conference.
This game will be won on the glass. The Liberty are fourth in the WNBA in rebounding while the Sky are dead last. If New York is able to control the boards, they’ll control the flow of the game and keep the Sky off balance. Chicago needs a lot more from Kamilla Cardoso going forward, and that needs to start tonight. She’ll be battling Jonquel Jones on the inside and hopes to stay out of trouble so she can hang in there against Jones. If she does get in trouble, the Sky’s long odds will become even longer.
Without Jackson, scoring is even harder to come by for the Sky. They are second to last in three point percentage and are 13th in offensive rating. Tyler Marsh is trying to find the right combinations to help stem the tide, but nothing has been working so far. And as the struggles continue, so will the calls for major changes in the organization.
Satou Sabally continues to find her rhythm. The newest Liberty has shot above 45 percent from the field in three out of the last four games and is attacking from all angles. She gives the team even more size in the front court and another player who can get to and finish at the rim. Her presence ensures the team can manage Breanna Stewart’s minutes throughout the year and help prevent her from burning out.
Player to watch: Skylar Diggins
The Sky need something to turn things around, and their All-Star is doing her best to help. Following a recent loss, she shared her frustration with the way things are going:
“effort all around needs to go up, and we have to get out of that loser mentality that we have.”
Yeesh.
Diggins is the person that has to carry the Sky, and it’s going to take a lot more to turn this around.
We’ll see how much Sabrina Ionescu plays tonight. Sab played around 25 minutes and is working to get back in the full groove. She’s likely to come off the bench tonight as she gets back to full strength. Her role on the second unit also ensures Pauline Astier continues to start at the point guard position. Astier continues to be a great finisher at the rim and is someone that has done a good job attacking at the right times when she has the ball. With this being the last Cup game and homecourt advantage possibly being on the line, look for the Liberty to put forth another big effort tonight.
From the Vault
I’m making my way through Dan Charnas’ “Dilla Time,” so let’s pull up one of my favorites
More reading: Chicago Sun Times, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, Newsday, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, The Stomp, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball
- New York Liberty Game Notes – New York Liberty
- Chicago Sky Game Notes – Chicago Sky
- New York Liberty are back in the Commissioner’s Cup final, with a familiar Finals pattern – Doug Feinberg – AP
- How Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is using the ‘small wins’ to clear hurdles in challenging Liberty task – Madeline Kenney – New York Post
