Struggles with turnovers persist for Liberty as they extend losing streak against the WNBA's bottom-ranked squad
The New York Liberty faced off against the Connecticut Sun in their latest match, marking the second encounter between the two teams this season. Despite the loss, the Liberty showed signs of improvement in the absence of Breanna Stewart, who is out due to a bone bruise on her right knee.
Sabrina Ionescu led the charge for the Liberty, scoring 18 points in the third quarter alone. Her standout performance included back-to-back shots early in the first quarter that gave the Liberty a 14-5 lead. However, the Sun responded with a 12-5 run to start the second quarter, narrowing the gap.
The Sun's defense was strong throughout the game, holding the Liberty to a season-low 62 points, a testament to their advantage taken from New York's poor performance in their previous match. Connecticut's Jonquel Jones and Isabelle Harrison combined for nine points in the third quarter, while Olivia Nelson-Ododa and Marina Mabrey scored nine more points in the final minutes to seal the Sun's win.
Mabrey had an impressive game for the Sun, contributing 18 points, eight assists, and 10 rebounds, while Nelson-Ododa added six points and three blocks. Charles also had a solid performance, scoring 15 points, grabbing four rebounds, dishing out three assists, and stealing the ball three times.
The Liberty struggled with turnovers in the match, committing a season-high 23, which resulted in 14 points for the Sun. Connecticut also had their fair share of turnovers, totaling 17, and giving up 15 points on them.
In their previous encounter, the Liberty won by a margin of 48 points, but this time around, the Sun managed to turn the tables. The Liberty's inconsistency and adjustment issues continue to be central to their downfall without Stewart, as they often look to Ionescu to carry the offense when they struggle to score.
The Liberty will need to address their turnovers and offensive stagnation to perform consistently without Stewart and secure more wins in the future. The next game for both teams is yet to be scheduled.
In the WNBA, the Connecticut Sun demonstrated their dominance against the New York Liberty, reversing the 48-point margin from their previous match with a victory. Despite Sabrina Ionescu's commendable 18 points in the third quarter, the Liberty's basketball performance was marred by a season-high 23 turnovers, contributing to their overall sports struggles in her absence.
