NY Liberty vs. Indiana Fever preview: Liberty look for their sixth win in a row
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever have played better as of late. However, they face off against a red hot Liberty team that’s on top of the standings. It’s always fun to watch two elite teams go play-for-play. On Tuesday night, the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx faced off and had one of the best games of the WNBA season. In the end, the seafoam proved to be too much to handle as they got some revenge for their Commissioner’s Cup loss.
The opponent today is trying to push their way into the playoff standings. The Indiana Fever are currently in ninth place and trying to make their first playoff appearance in nine years. They didn’t help their cause after losing to the Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday evening in Vegas.
Where to follow the game
CBS is the place to be. Brunch and basketball so we getting started after 1:00 p.m. ET. in Indianapolis.
Injuries
Nyara Sabally is making progress and is listed as questionable with a back injury.
Temi Fagbenle is listed as day-to-day as she recently returned from a leg injury.
The game
The Liberty won games one, two, and three. This is the last regular season meeting between the two teams.
The Fever have figured some things out. Since their last loss to the Liberty on June 2, they’ve averaged 105.3 points per 100 possessions, third best in the W. A lot of that is due to the improved play of Caitlin Clark. All eyes have been on Indiana’s needle mover and she has kept the party going by averaging a league best 7.9 assists per game over her last ten contests. She’s found her three point shot to the tune of 38.5% from downtown. However, there’s one big bugaboo hurting her right now. The turnovers have been through the roof, and she’s going to need to cut down on that immensely. To be fair, some of that is due to her teammates fumbling spectacular passes. But still. Her pro journey has gotten off to a good start and she’s one of the early leaders for Rookie of the Year.
Clark and the Fever will have to deal with Sabrina Ionescu. Sab is still under the weather, but she’s fighting through it. Ionescu’s ability to get downhill has been essential, and against a Fever defense that has had plenty of trouble getting stops (worst in the league in defensive rating), they’ll have to figure things out in a big way. The Fever are also last in opponent’s turnover rate and the combination of not getting stops + fouling too much + not getting out in transition is bad business.
In addition to Clark, the Fever will also send two other All Stars to the big game in Phoenix. Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston will be heading to the game as their recent run of play has helped get the Fever back on track. The Fever have a solid foundation and with more time together as well as some good free agency choices, they can be something special for many years to come.
Jonquel Jones has has worn the Fever out in each game this season, and Boston is going to need to have an A+ game to stop JJ. Jonquel’s passing has opened up plenty of scoring opportunities for her teammates, and the combination of her great passing, three point shooting, and low post excellence makes things really hard for opposing bigs.
Player to watch: NaLyssa Smith
Look, I love a good bit. The bit is fun, it’s good natured, and everyone’s in on it. That’s where NaLyssa Smith finds herself these days, and she’s having fun with it
nah dis got me cracking tf up dawg https://t.co/1m3YZ6kEjX— #1 (@NaLyssaSmith) June 16, 2024
NaLyssa has seen her role change a bit as she spent a bit of time on the bench in favor of Temi Fagbenle earlier in the year. Smith has plenty of talent and has had her great moments on the court. The Fever need defensive improvements and Smith will be someone that has to be better on that side of the ball.
That change will have to start with defending Breanna Stewart. Stewie didn’t shoot well vs. the Lynx, but she did everything else at an MVP level to help New York get the win. For Stewart, she has to find the balance between driving into traffic and finding her teammates for open shots when defenses converge on her. Stewie has given the Fever plenty of trouble over the past year, and with her finding her shot from three point range, she’ll create more matchup nightmares for the Fever.
From the Vault
Later tonight, the WWE will be hosting Money in the Bank from Toronto, Canada! With that in mind, let’s take it back to Chicago and the best match from this event’s history
More reading: Indiana Fever Blog, Swish Appeal, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next
New York Liberty Game Notes - New York Liberty
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