We are officially in the home stretch of the WNBA regular season! With the playoffs beginning on September 22, teams are looking to iron things out before the big dance. Seeds need to be clinched, matchups need to be set, and everyone is hoping to be at full strength. And for the New York Liberty, this final stretch gives them one more opportunity to make a statement before the playoffs begin.
At 27-6, the Liberty are the best team in the WNBA. Sandy Brondello’s team has done incredibly well under tough circumstances and have learned a lot about themselves along the way. Even with two recent losses, things have been sunny for the seafoam:
The Liberty have a chance to end the season with the league’s best record for the second time in team history. The first time was in 2015 as Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince led NY to a 23-11 record. How can this version of the Liberty capture the one seed? Here’s how!
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers!
For as good as the Liberty have been in all aspects of the game, there’s been one concerning area since the All Star break. Following their return to play, they’ve turned the ball over 19.8 percent of the time, second highest mark in the league.
“We’re just trying to make the home run play or look to score on the first side and putting ourselves in a bad position,” Breanna Stewart said after their loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. “It’s on the starters, on myself, to… grow up in that aspect.”
Turnovers have been the only downside to an amazing season for the Liberty. On the latest edition of SNY’s Rapid Rundown, I discussed that issue with Dexter Henry
When things are going well, the ball movement is immaculate and leads to great opportunities all over the court.
When the Liberty are at their best, they’re able to go from side to side. The movement also gets them paint opportunities and trips to the free throw line.
Liberty play big
In a manner of speaking, the Liberty are smaller than they were last year. The team was big heavy as they employed five players that received minutes at center. Liberty management went about improving the roster, trading size for length x versatility and shoring up the depth in the process. Even by downsizing a bit, it hasn’t hurt the Liberty one bit. The team has led the WNBA in rebounding since the Olympics break and are second overall on the season.
Someone who’s found her footing since the break is Nyara Sabally. Since returning from a star making appearance with the German National Team in the Olympics, Sabally has seen her minutes increase. She picked up her first career double double against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 28 and scored a career high in points. Sabally is incredibly mobile at the five, which helps her keep up with guards on defense
We also see her mobility on offense. She’s also a locomotive rolling downhill, has great hands, and has tremendous touch at the rim
“It’s great to see Nyara out there and playing so well. We just think she has this amazing potential and it’s going to keep getting better,” Sandy Brondello said after the loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. “She’s very reliable, she can do things at both ends of the floor and adds another dimension to our team.”
Sabally’s emergence gives the Liberty another great option off the bench and someone who can get Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart more rest. It also allows them the option of maintaining their size advantage in the frontcourt by pairing Nyara with one of her All Star bigs in the same lineups.
Game to watch
- September 15 vs. the Minnesota Lynx
The regular season series between these teams is tied at one. The Lynx won the first game in May. It didn’t count in the standings, but Minnesota captured the Commissioner’s Cup from the Liberty. New York won game two in July. Depending on how things play out, this game could determine the number one overall seed in the playoffs. It will also determine a lot related to playoff seeding. The Lynx are in a dog fight with the Connecticut Sun for the two seed, and after this game ends, they travel to Uncasville for a game on Tuesday.
“They just never stop moving,” Leonie Fiebich said after the win in July. “They always have an answer to everything. If we switch, when we don’t switch, if we go under, whatever it is they always have an answer.”
The Liberty have had a tremendous season thus far, and have a chance to do something even more special as we enter into the Fall.