New York Liberty get back on winning track vs. Los Angeles Sparks, 93-80
Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images
On a night that began with a heavy emotions, the New York Liberty pulled out a win for themselves and for their absent leader Early in the first quarter of their home game vs. the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday night, the New York Liberty broke the news that Courtney Vandersloot’s mother, Jan, had passed away, and paid a brief tribute to her.
NY Liberty Brasil: X|Twitter
New York’s starting point guard has been away from the team since their June 4th win in Chicago, listed as OUT, sometimes DOUBTFUL with personal reasons.
Jan Vandersloot was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in July of 2022, months before her daughter decided to join a stacked New York roster in free agency. Last season, Courtney spoke about the worries she felt moving so far away from her mother, who lives in Gig Harbor, WA., and their tight-knit bond, revealing it was her mother who convinced her daughter to make the move east.
“She wants this for me. To have her blessing, she understood.”
Courtney has since discussed multiple myeloma at length, becoming an advocate for fundraising groups targeting the disease. She was even an (excused) late arrival to Liberty Media Day this pre-season, as she spent the morning participating in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour riding with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. (Donate here.)
Even as Vandersloot was missing her seventh straight game on Thursday night, the Liberty would not be these Liberty without their starting point guard, without the mother-daughter bond that created not only brought her to New York, but made her the hooper and leader she is, if you let her tell it.
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A post shared by Courtney Vandersloot (@sloot22)
“We’ve been playing for [Sloot] for a lot of games now,” said Sabrina Ionescu. “Anytime we come together, it shows why we play and what’s important in life. Wrapping our arms around her and her family in this time is important.”
On Thursday, playing for Sloot entailed recovering from a loss to the Phoenix Mercury that snapped the team’s eight-game winning streak. Their challenge: a Sparks squad playing their first game since rookie sensation Cameron Brink tore her ACL.
And in Sloot’s absence, it was the trio of guards behind her that had their best performance of the season, from Sabrina Ionescu continuing to be New York’s full-time point-guard without issue down the line to Marquesha Davis, who scored her first field-goal in as a pro in five minutes of play...
please stand clear of the closing doors ⚠️Q TRAIN IN MOTION @MarqueshaDavis 1st FG made in the @WNBA pic.twitter.com/0ujl40RxFv— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) June 21, 2024
In between Ionescu and Davis, Ivana Dojkić turned in her best game of the season, thrust into a larger role thanks to the absence of Betnijah Laney-Hamilton (knee). Dojkić’s 25 minutes, 12 points, two assists, and 3-of-6 shooting from deep all represented career-highs with her new team, who outscored the Sparks by 16 in her minutes.
“I thought [she] was great,” said Sandy Brondello. “Without [Laney-Hamilton] there, we lost a handler, and it was a chance for [her] to play a little bit more. She’s always staying ready, this is a player that’s played overseas at a high level for so long, and it was great for her just to go out and be who she is and help us at both ends of the ball.”
Her shot-making and energy throughout set the stage for New York’s stars to continue doing what they’ve done all season, as Ionescu and Jonquel Jones once again feasted both in the pick-and-roll...
stat @MylesEhrlich told me pregame: Jonquel has gotten more assists from Sabrina this season than the rest of her teammates combined: pic.twitter.com/VtpLV0YUTR— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 20, 2024
Those two were at the center of the 13-6 run that turned a deadlocked contest into a 43-36 New York lead at the break, and they continued their run of excellence in the third quarter, where the versatility shined. It wasn’t just the pick-and-roll that Los Angeles couldn’t defend, but a transition attack that capitalized on the visitors’ 15 turnovers...
New York absolutely kills you in transition, from their 5'10" point guard to their 6'6" center: pic.twitter.com/o9D4WBrL3v— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 21, 2024
Ionescu turned in another contender for the best offensive performance of her career, posting 31 points and nine assists on 6-of-11 from deep and 5-of-8 inside the arc. When Los Angeles sagged off, she sent moon-balls toward the Barclays Center’s rafters that eventually dropped through the net and ignited the crowd, and when they pressured her, she flicked it over to Jones on the roll, who scored 22 points in support.
But Jones added a career-high eight assists as the Sparks kept pressuring her on the catch, unwilling to live with anymore clean looks for the blossoming MVP candidate. Jones responded by spraying it all over the court...
Jonquel Jones' 8th assist of the night. She was getting buckets in the PnR, so LA is forced to really jam her on the catch, but she's this quick getting the ball out of her hands: pic.twitter.com/WNDb33uOqJ— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) June 21, 2024
Jones credited her playmaking to, “just understanding that teams are gonna send people at me, send bodies at me, so just being ready to make the next pass, and I trust my teammates to make those shots.”
One of those teammates was Breanna Stewart, who recovered from a 1-of-7 first half to shoot 5-of-6 in the second half to salvage an efficient 17 points. So, as often occurs, New York’s three-headed monster scored just enough to stave off various L.A. runs, as Curt MIller’s squad cut a 19-point deficit to just six in the game’s waning minutes.
There, Leonie Fiebich, who got the start for Laney-Hamilton, hit her only shot of the night, finishing with a 1-of-7 performance but making sure that ‘1’ was big-time.
Fiebich once again noted her increasing comfort level within her new team and new league as a WNBA rookie, but credited her teammates too: “I mean, it helps that my teammates trust me and still pass me the ball after I miss four threes.”
So, despite a trio of quick Sparks guards that consistently got into the lane — Aari McDonald, Rae Burrell, and Zia Cooke were L.A.’s only double-digit scorers — New York held on for a win in which their stars shined on the court and supported one of the leaders off it.
Said Stewart: “Sloot is obviously a part of this family here with the Liberty, and making sure that we continue to support her and have her back, especially in our first game back [from the road], having a moment of silence for her family, for her mom is really important. It just continues to show that there’s life happening too.”
Some say ball is life, and perhaps it still is, even on a night like tonight. Hopefully, the community that ball has created for Sloot, an extended community that includes the thousands of fans that came out to watch another fun basketball game at the Barclays Center on Thursday, can ease the pain of losing her mother, if even just a little.
Until then, the Liberty will keep hooping, hopefully keep winning, and keeping Courtney Vandersloot in their prayers.
Final Score: New York Liberty 93, Los Angeles Sparks 80
Claxton in the building
If you were looking for some positive news on the Brooklyn Nets who occupy Barclays Center during the winter months, Nic Claxton and friend were at the game cheering on the Liberty. Doug Bearak got the exclusive.
The Nets have exclusive rights to negotiate with Claxton through July 1. Various reports pin Claxton’s next contract at between $20 and $25 million.
Next Up
Photo by Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images
This mini-series continues at the Barclays Center on Saturday afternoon, where the Liberty and Sparks will face off yet again. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET.
Box Score: New York Liberty 93, Los Angeles Sparks 80 - WNBA
Game Highlights: New York Liberty 93, Los Angeles Sparks 80 (Video) - WNBA
Sabrina Ionescu Cashes In For Season-High 31 PTS, 9 AST and 6 Made Threes vs. Sparks (Video) - WNBA
Liberty honor Courtney Vandersloot’s mother who died after two-year cancer battle - Andrew Crane - New York Post
Breanna Stewart, Liberty’s three-point shooting gets back on track in loss to Phoenix Mercury - Fiifi Frimpong - New York Daily News
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