“We want Han” chants rose overwhelmingly in the Barclays Center for one of the New York Liberty’s fan favorites with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
However, it was a tough battle for the home team for much of the afternoon.
The Liberty harvested their second straight victory of the season by beating the previously undefeated Connecticut Sun, 81-65. Breanna Stewart (21), Courtney Vandersloot (18) and Sabrina Ionescu (17) scored 56 of the team’s 81 points, along with a combined 19 rebounds and 18 assists.
“I thought we were sleeping in the first half,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said about the team’s first 20 minutes. Led by Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut played with more energy in the first half on both ends, forcing turnovers and hitting kick-out corner three-pointers after penetrating the Liberty’s defense.
However, the beauty of a veteran team is being able to realize problems and make adjustments, and that started with the Liberty’s two newest members: Stewart and Vandersloot.
Fitting In
When Kevin Durant was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns, not many were worried about his chemistry with the new team because of his ability to contribute efficiently regardless of what he is given on the court. Now, New York is seeing the same level of fitness in the addition of Stewart.
If dropping a record-breaking 45 points against Indiana, once again, certified her as one of the most dominant bucket-getters the W has ever seen, then this game is a reminder that Stewart can do it all. Stewart took over in a different fashion on Saturday as she contributed six rebounds, six steals, five assists and four blocks. Stewart wound up finishing one block short of the second 5×5 game in WNBA history.
The most impressive thing is that Stewart did not force anything. She was more patient in reading the opponents by making defensive plays, setting up screens, increasing ball movement, and of course, making shots, including from deep.
“We know we are capable of shooting, we don’t wanna force it, but if we can get out in transition, that’s where the floor is gonna be spaced the best,” Stewart said. about the shooting discrepancy between the two halves. “Just the way that we came out defensively created a lot of offense for us.”
But Stewart is not alone. Vandersloot had her best game with the Liberty so far, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in 34 minutes while posting a season-high 10 assists and six rebounds. She turned into the floor general in the second half who pushed the pace in transition and found open shots. Vandersloot also became more aggressive in high pick-and-rolls, attacking the Sun’s bigs through layups and mid-range shots.
Brondello had high praise for her veteran guard post-game: “She’s obviously one of the smartest guards in the history of the game. The way that she can just pick things up very quickly, and get a feel for the game. It’s a luxury [to have her] as a coach.”
After winning the game against Connecticut, New York improved its record to 2-1. And Marine Johannes’s return gives the Liberty another weapon to utilize.