It took some extra time, but a win nonetheless. The New York Liberty began their three game road trip against the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon. It was close throughout and went into overtime, but the Liberty were able to do just enough to hold on and come away with a 98-93 win.
The opponent tonight is looking to find its way in the new WNBA. The Portland Fire have returned after a decades long absence, and the team put up a good fight but fell short against the Chicago Sky on Saturday.
Where To Follow
- TV: My9
- Streaming: Liberty Live
- Tip-off: 10 PM ET
Injuries
- Rebecca Allen, Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, Raquel Carrera, and Satou Sabally are out.
- Sug Sutton and Kamiah Smalls are questionable. Karlie Samuelson is out.
Liberty Unlocked
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Liberty debuted the newest edition of Liberty Unlocked, and NetsDaily was on the scene! Check it out
A new organization brings new opportunity, and for all the players on the Fire, they get a chance to forge new paths. Being on an expansion team is a challenge, but if you’re able to play well, you’ll set the tone going forward for the organization.
For the Liberty, they’ll look to be a bit better on the glass tonight. New York was outrebounded by the Mystics on Sunday afternoon, and they can’t afford to have that happen on a consistent basis. Even without Sabally for the time being, the group has enough talent to hold things down on the glass.
It would also help if there were fewer whistles. Sunday’s game was plagued by bad foul calls and it made the game a choppier, less enjoyable experience for fans, players, and coaches. Jonquel Jones voiced her frustration after the game.
“I’m not the type of person to go into the media and complain about referees and complain about this type of situation, but at this point, it’s ridiculous,“ Jones said. ”I can’t get any type of feel for the game and I think all of us as players deserve to understand how the game is going to be called so that we can adjust our games to it. But when certain things aren’t being called and then some things are being called, there is no adjusting because it’s just whether or not the refs decided to call it or not call it. And I just hate that every time they decide to call it, it’s against me.“
If Jones is able to avoid foul trouble, she should have a dominant game. The Portland center room of Luisa Geiselsoder and Meg Gustafson will be tasked with keeping her off the boards and limiting her touches in the paint. It’ll be a tough challenge for them, but one that could help them figure out how to defend JJ and the Liberty for the next matchup.
Being on the Fire represents a chance for Haley Jones to make the most out of her skills. Jones has had her fair share of stops and starts over her first three seasons in the WNBA, but this could be the season where she breaks out. As the Fire establish roles and rotations, some strong play by Jones could help her finally break through.
Player To Watch: Bridget Carleton
Carleton was the centerpiece of Portland’s expansion draft strategy, and she’ll have a lot of responsibility on her shoulders. BC is on a max deal and she’s shown that she’s a winning player across her time in Minnesota. Carleton has been above 37 percent from three point range in three consecutive seasons and that presence from deep should allow for plenty of success with new head coach Alex Sarama.
Breanna Stewart will look to keep the party going. Stewie has consistently gotten to the rim and is shooting 80 percent inside the restricted area across the first two games. It’s incredibly unlikely she keeps up that pace over the course of the season, Either way, her consistency in getting to the cup and putting pressure on the defense will make life hell on opponents and easy on her teammates.
From The Vault
Ones in the air for Brandon Clarke.
More reading: Rose Garden Report, 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, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, Yahoo Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, and The IX Basketball
