NY Liberty vs. Indiana Fever preview: Liberty look to complete a perfect homestand
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The Liberty begin Commissioner’s Cup and say hello to Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever! Rock the house. The New York Liberty have been at home all week, and it's exactly what the doctor ordered. The Washington Mystics were at Barclays on Friday night, and they put up a heck of a fight. Unfortunately for them, the seafoam proved to be too much to handle. The Libs picked up their second straight win with a tidy 90-79 win. The Liberty are now 6-2 on the WNBA season.
The opponent tonight has had all eyes on them. The Indiana Fever have had everyone watching their every move, and we've gotten to watch a young team struggle and try to figure things out. They opened Commissioner’s Cup play yesterday afternoon against the Chicago Sky and hung on by one point. There were a whole lot of antics in that game, which we’ll get to in a minute.
Where to follow the game
My9 is the place to be. Game time is 7:00 p.m. ET.
Injuries
Courtney Vandersloot missed Friday’s game with a back injury. She should be good to go tonight. Nyara Sabally left Friday’s game with back spasms. She’s out for this contest.
Temi Fagbenle will be out for the next few weeks as she suffered a foot injury during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks.
The game
New York won games one and two. They wrap up the season series in July.
It's Cup season! For the next few weeks, the games will count towards the Commissioner’s Cup standings and the teams with the best records from the Eastern and Western Conference will meet for the Cup on June 25. Last year, the Liberty won the Commissioner’s Cup in style and are hoping to do it again.
So, there’s an art to lobbying the refs. When you’re trying to get some calls in your favor, it helps to give them a friendly nudge so they see the game in your eyes. Phil Jackson was the absolute best at it in basketball history, and Fever coach Christie Sides is looking to follow in that rich tradition
This is unacceptable @wnbaWhen will the consistent complaints be heard?!? Something has to be done! https://t.co/QVf1vHA5l4— Christie Sides (@ChristieSides) June 1, 2024
If she ends up getting fined, it’ll be worth it if/when the referees adjust their calls. That’s how the game is.
When you play one way for so long, it’s really tough to adjust to a whole new style with the eyes of the world on you. The mistakes get magnified, the margin for error is minimal, and you have to hit your marks every time. That’s where last year’s number one pick, Aliyah Boston, finds herself these days. It’s been a rocky start to 2024 for Boston and some of her lowlights have been magnified to a great degree. She’s started to resemble her All Star form in recent games, and she’s started to get a bit more comfortable in the short roll. Over at the mothership, our very own Lucas Kaplan took a look at what the Fever have been doing, and focused in on Boston’s role:
There’s a lot on her plate right now, and it’s taking away from her traditional effectiveness in the post; in transition, she’s often caught in between sealing down low and setting a high ball screen for Clark or Mitchell. No longer is her first impulse to get down to the paint and bury her mismatch.
But for a team taking the third-fewest layup attempts this season, per Synergy, the Fever could use some more of that. They’ve shown a desire to use Clark’s gravity to free up Mitchell for drives and Samuelson for open shots. Throwing Boston a bone every once in a while could go a long way in easing her into this brand-new offense.”
Crawl, walk, and then run.
Standing in Boston’s way will be Jonquel Jones. The Liberty offense is still a work in progress, but when it’s late and they need something good on offense, they can dial JJ’s number. It’s a great advantage for the Liberty and JJ’s ability to draw multiple defenders when she posts up or is the roller in a p&r situation creates matchup nightmares for opponents. With Sabally out, Kennedy Burke will be the lone backup big. If Jones is able to avoid any foul trouble, she’ll have all the time she needs to bring pain to Indiana.
Indiana will try to prevent Breanna Stewart from going off once again. In two games vs. Indy this season, Stewie is shooting close to 55 percent from the field and has been a menace on both sides of the ball. Something interesting from Friday’s game was the team trying to get her the ball on the move more often. As she explained to Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr,
“I think there was a little more purpose with our actions and understanding that I have to be more aggressive but also getting me in the spots that’s gonna be most beneficial for this time.”
When you move well and play with intentionality, you force the defense to scramble and play catchup. The Fever defense is the worst in the WNBA at 110.1 points per 100 possessions. As they’re on the second night of a back-to-back and one day removed from an intense battle, this could be an opportunity for New York to push the issue and go for an early knockout.
Player to watch: Caitlin Clark
So, we've all had to adjust to a new job. The first few days, we just try to fit in and not make any moves. It's natural because we don't know anyone and want to make a good first impression. However, once you get comfortable, the real you starts to show. You don't have to contort yourself to fit into a box your bosses want and instead, you can work the way you always have. Being your true self might make you some enemies here and there, but that's irrelevant in the bigger picture. That's where Caitlin Clark finds herself these days. Clark is starting to get acclimated to the pressures and strain of the WNBA, and she's starting to let it loose.
.@CaitlinClark22 is fired up! pic.twitter.com/6nPKTwSTYa— Sports on Prime (@SportsonPrime) May 30, 2024
And sometimes when you talk, the opponent may not take too kindly to it...
Here's an extended look at the Caitlin Clark - Chennedy Carter incident, there was more to it than the shoulder check and Clark was clearly talking to her on the way back up the floor from the prior basket by Indiana pic.twitter.com/1XG1RyzTw4— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) June 1, 2024
I tend to like negativity with my basketball, so I’m ok with the back-and-forth nature of the trash talk. As long as you keep it clean, we’ve got nothing to worry about.
As it happens, Clark has already picked up three technical fouls. If/when she gets to seven, she gets an automatic one game suspension and for a Fever team that needs all the help it can get, they can’t afford for Clark to take herself out of games. Even beyond adjusting to the physicality of the pros, you have to be able to adjust your mindset and learn how to work with the officiating crew.
Even with all the discourse surrounding Clark, she’s started to figure a few things out. Her passing has carried over to the pros and she is fourth in the W in assists per game. It would probably be a bit higher if her teammates were able to finish at the rim (the Fever have the third worst field goal percentage inside the restricted area), but that’ll hopefully come with time. The turnovers are something she has to get taken care of immediately as she’s the league leader in that category. You have to make the most out of every single possession and as this young Fever team learns the system and each other, ensuring you get shots up at the rim every time down will go a long way.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton figures to get the Clark assignment once again. Bee has been the Liberty’s best perimeter defender and is the quarterback of that unit. Laney-Hamilton and her teammates have talked about communication on defense all week, and tonight will be another great test of their improvements. If they fall asleep, Clark can heat up from 30+ feet and make life hell on opponents.
Speaking of making life hell on opponents, Sabrina Ionescu
From the Vault
Sean Paul was the latest guest on NPR's Tiny Desk series, so let's throw it all the way back
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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