Liberty Replace: Clean crusing for New York with 7-2 begin

Our last New York Liberty update ended by suggesting the Liberty might go 9-0 to begin the season. That didn’t occur, after all, however all issues thought of, the Liberty are in a great place as we head into June.

Whereas the standings aren’t all the time a dependable indicator of crew energy at first the season, particularly since groups have performed a various variety of video games, the Liberty sit comfortably in second place general; they’re solely under the Connecticut Solar, who’re, in truth, still undefeated at 8-0. Regardless, 7-2 is a wonderful document, and extra importantly, the Liberty look nice on the courtroom.

Most of their wins have been fairly dominant. They’ve performed the Indiana Fever 3 times, blowing them out by practically 40 factors in two of these video games. They’ve overwhelmed the Washington Mystics twice in swift trend. Additionally they have good wins in opposition to the Seattle Storm and Phoenix Mercury.

Their two losses have come to robust groups within the Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky, and each are nothing to panic about.

As June begins, so does Commissioner’s Cup play. The format of the event has modified a bit this 12 months, with groups enjoying convention rivals as soon as in a two-week interval firstly of June. These video games nonetheless rely towards the common season, but in addition the highest crew from every convention after the 2 weeks of video games will advance to the Cup championship. The Liberty at the moment high the Japanese Convention within the Cup standings, together with the Solar.

Let’s undergo a number of highlights from the previous few weeks of play:

Betnijah Laney-Hamilton locks up Caitlin Clark

Head coach Sandy Brondello says Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is an early contender for Defensive Participant of the 12 months, and he or she’s not incorrect.

Let’s not dive too deep within the #discourse, nevertheless it’s an apparent undeniable fact that groups try to throw their greatest protection at Caitlin Clark. The rookie broke the NCAA scoring document (each males’s and ladies’s) previous to being drafted to the WNBA, and may get scorching from distance. Clark scored below 10 factors in two of the three video games between the Fever and Liberty; her solely different efficiency that didn’t attain double digits was in opposition to the two-time champion Las Vegas Aces.

In her first contest in opposition to the Liberty, Clark scored 9 factors. She adopted it up with a pleasant 22-point efficiency—in her residence opener, nonetheless—however within the Fever’s most up-to-date recreation in opposition to the Liberty, Clark was held to simply three factors.

That is primarily due to Laney-Hamilton’s protection on her. Laney-Hamilton completely locked her up, as she shot 1-for-10 from the sphere, certainly one of solely three performances this season the place Clark has tried 10 or fewer pictures. Within the Liberty’s different video games in opposition to Indiana, Clark shot 1-for-7 and 4-for-10 from 3, respectively.

Breanna Stewart bolsters the hassle on each ends

Picture by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

In fact, the 2023 MVP is a giant issue within the Liberty’s successes as effectively. Whereas Stewart has seen a small dip in her stats in comparison with final season, it has not stopped her from main her crew to an awesome begin to the season.

She at the moment averages 17.9 factors, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and a pair of.2 steals per recreation, and has scored in double digits in each recreation however one this season. If something, the crew’s consistency whereas Stewart’s 3-point taking pictures is down is proof that this crew is a contact extra balanced than it might have been final season. Perhaps that’s as a result of elevated chemistry after over a season of enjoying collectively. Regardless, Stewart’s struggles haven’t stopped her from impacting the sport in different methods. She’s fourth within the league in steals per recreation, eleventh in scoring, sixth in rebounding and eleventh in blocks.

And in the long run, she’s nonetheless the participant you go to while you want a bucket.

What’s subsequent for New York?

Now that Commissioner’s Cup play has begun, the Liberty will play a sequence of Japanese Convention foes within the coming weeks.

They’ve already performed Indiana, and have Chicago, Atlanta, Connecticut and Washington up subsequent to find out whether or not they’ll return to the Commissioner’s Cup championship to defend their title and donate more cash to their chosen charity, Girls Creating Change.

The one recreation that’s intriguing from that bunch is the match in opposition to the Solar, who nonetheless stay undefeated. Though Connecticut might lose earlier than the sport between these two groups goes down on Saturday, June 8 (1 p.m. ET, ABC), the Liberty possibly have the most effective likelihood of any crew within the East to take down the Solar. That recreation will possible decide the crew that may signify the Japanese Convention within the Commissioner’s Cup, relying on how the remainder of the video games go.

It additionally would be the first time this season the 2 powerhouse groups face one another, after the Liberty beat the Solar within the WNBA semifinals final season. It’s going to be an awesome recreation—one you undoubtedly wish to circle in your calendar!