NY Liberty vs. Minnesota Lynx preview: Liberty look for some revenge vs. the Lynx
Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images
It’s a battle of two of the WNBA’s best as the Liberty look for some revenge against the Lynx. Making it through. The New York Liberty were back in action on Sunday afternoon against the Atlanta Dream, but some of their players were a bit under the weather. Even with that, the seafoam did more than enough to come away with an 81-75 win in front of a sold out crowd at Barclays Center on Sunday afternoon. The Liberty are now 16-3 on the WNBA season.
The opponent tonight is one Liberty fans have started to get used to. The Minnesota Lynx have been ferocious on defense all season long, and it was on full display on Sunday afternoon. They held the Chicago Sky to just five fourth quarter points on 2/23 shooting as they came away with another quality victory.
Where to follow the game
FOX 5 on TV. Fox Local, YES App, and Liberty Live on streaming. Tip off after 7;00 p.m. ET
Injuries
No Nyara Sabally but she was a full participant in today’s shootaround so she’s getting closer.
All clear for the Lynx.
The game
Minnesota won game one and the Commissioner’s Cup.
After this game wraps up (assuming no overtime), we will find out the rosters for this year’s All Star Game. The players on Team USA are automatically there, so we’ll find out who will be on team WNBA. Should be fun.
Sabrina Ionescu didn’t have it going on Sunday, but there was a pretty good reason for that. Sab was under the weather and only shot 3-17 from the field on Sunday. However, she wanted to power through and give her best for the Liberty fans at home and the ones that traveled from far and wide to see her play
Following the @nyliberty 's win, @sabrina_i20 talked about powering through even when she's not feeling her best and the importance of showing up for the fans#WNBA pic.twitter.com/7RydwGxEee— The Local W (@TheLocalW) July 1, 2024
Throughout her time in NY, Sab has endeared herself to the fans through her hard work on the court and presence off the court.
She’ll need to be at full strength against this Lynx squad. Minnesota is tops in the WNBA in defense and first in three point shooting.
The story for the Liberty tonight will be turnovers. In the two games vs. the Lynx, the Liberty have coughed it up 39 times. Against a team as good as this, you’re just begging for trouble. They need to make the most out of every single possession imaginable if they want to get the win.
The big battle will be at the forward position. There were some concerns about Breanna Stewart’s three point shooting, but she’s slowly coming back to form. In the past five games, Stew York is shooting 48 percent from downtown. Stewart regaining her touch from deep allows her to be even more dynamic on offense. She’ll be matched up with fellow UCONN Huskie Napheesa Collier. M-V-Phee had another great all around outing on Sunday as her 13/11/6/4/3 paced the Lynx. Like Stewart, Collier can score from anywhere on the court and is a defensive dynamo. They along with Ionescu will be representing Team USA at the Paris Olympics as the United States looks for their eighth straight gold medal.
Player to watch: Alanna Smith
The Lynx frontcourt is pretty solid, and Smith is a big part of that. The Aussie big has found her footing with Minnesota and is having the best season of her WNBA career. Besides from her excellent shooting from three point range, Smith has been a force on the inside. As Napheesa Collier explains:
"Alanna's been amazing. She has a huge assignment every night, often the tallest, most physical player. She’s such a solid player for us. I’m really glad he’s on our team. I remember how hard it was to play against her.”
Smith and the Lynx make things hard on opposing bigs, and we’ll see if they can replicate their success one more time.
Even though she’s a bit under the weather, Jonquel Jones is still giving it her all out there. Her scoring hasn’t been there the past two games, but she’s continued to work hard on the glass, set solid screens, and initiate offense from the high post. The only weakness for Minnesota is their rebounding, and they’ll try to corral one of the league’s best rebounders. The Liberty tried to overcorrect and force the ball to JJ in the post in the Cup final, so it’ll be fun to watch how they counter the fronting and sagging the Lynx will do on defense. When you have two elite teams facing off, the game within the game takes on more importance.
From the Vault
On July 1, Missy Elliot celebrated her 53rd birthday! We could be here all day playing Missy bangers, so let’s pull one up before we hit the road
More reading: Canis Hoopus, 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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