Intense Scoring by Sabrina Ionescu Essential for Liberty's Victory against Valkyries
Stepping Up When it Counts: The New York Liberty, known for their resilience, faced a tough challenge against the Golden State Valkyries. After a 28-point victory over Golden State just two nights prior, the teams remained neck-and-neck throughout the game with no team leading by more than six points. The Liberty triumphantly secured an 82-77 victory, but turnovers and a missing post threat duo hindered their progress.
Nyara Sabally and Jonquel Jones both missed the game due to injuries, leaving the Liberty with reduced bench strength and primary post options. This predicament forced the team to resort to drastic measures on offense.
First, the Liberty attempted to sink numerous three-pointers, a strategy that proved successful when Sabrina Ionescu and Kennedy Burke sunk a combined ten threes. Ionescu equaled her personal best in made threes within a half, and Burke made good use of her open looks, demonstrating an improvement from her previous 31% three-point shooting average.
"Aiming for open shots" was Ionescu's approach, attributed to finding opportunities in transition and executing off screens. Meanwhile, Burke, who credits her teammates for seeking her out when she's open, expressed her intentions to maintain a consistent shooting performance as the season progresses.
The Liberty's short-handed roster also required Breanna Stewart to shoulder even more responsibility. Stewart shined brightly, drawing an astonishing 16 fouls and converting 15 out of 19 free throws during her 36-minute performance.
"She took the initiative, no doubt," said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello, clearly impressed by the MVP's efforts.
Despite Stewart's incredible displays, the absence of Sabally and Jones negatively affected the Liberty's rebounding efforts. The Valkyries out-rebounded the Liberty 41-36, pushing the Liberty and the Connecticut Sun into a tie for the worst rebound percentage in the WNBA. The Liberty also rank last the offensive and defensive rebounding percentages.
Coach Brondello was frank when discussing the team's rebounding woes, stating, "We've got to find a solution for our rebounding problems, no ifs and buts. We were muscled over there."
Ionescu clarified that not only were the Liberty struggling to score points, but Golden State also had more opportunities on offense as a result.
"We weren't scoring, so they were able to set up shop on the other end, slowly picking us apart," Ionescu analyzed.
The Liberty are currently in the middle of a challenging four-game schedule spanning just six days. Their next matchup will be against the Washington Mystics, a team with a strong rebounding presence. With the Mystics ranking as the third-best rebounding team in the WNBA, the Liberty will need to find solutions quickly to counterbalance their opponents' strength.
The Liberty, despite their increased reliance on three-point shots due to missing Nyara Sabally and Jonquel Jones, managed to secure a win against the Golden State Valkyries. However, their struggles in rebounding compared to the Valkyries have become evident, causing concerns for upcoming games, especially against strong rebounding teams like the Washington Mystics.
