New York Liberty defeat Connecticut Sun 82-79 in preseason finale
Photo by Erica Denhoff/NBAE via Getty Images
It wouldn’t be the WNBA if it didn’t shoot itself in the foot, inexplicably failing to televise this game despite Connecticut’s best efforts. The Connecticut Sun tried, they really did. The hosts for New York Liberty’s second and final preseason game announced via X/Twitter just three hours before game-time that the contest would indeed be televised … despite the WNBA’s best efforts to keep their product off the air.
Well, not
Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images
televised exactly, but streamed. Streamed live on their official YouTube channel, which it was ... for a few minutes before the feed got taken down.
“This live stream has been terminated due to continuously unmonitored use of content that belongs to somebody else,” was the message you’d get when clicking the dead link, odd considering that you’d think that Connecticut Sun basketball would belong to the Connecticut Sun.
YouTube Livestream will be back up shortly we’ll tweet the new link as soon as possible!— Connecticut Sun (@ConnecticutSun) May 9, 2024
But no, actually; that would make too much sense! When Connecticut tried again, this time posting a stream with no sound, it was rejected!
“This video contains content from Videocites NBA Account, who has blocked it on copyright grounds,” was the new message.
Videocites, according to Sports Business Journal, is “an AI-driven video tracker,” which is helping “the league learn about how much video content is out there, the ways in which the content is being consumed and how the league can monetize that content.”
“We sometimes call it a ‘Shazam for video,’ but it’s much more than that,” says CEO and co-founder Eyal Arad. “It does video-to-video matching and in a scale that no one can do it. It can compare millions to millions and find the needle from the haystack.”
Well, Videocites found the needle from the haystack and threw it in the trash, a brilliant move that will surely help the NBA learn about making money off WNBA Enterprises LLC, which had the rights to video content of Sun v. Liberty on Thursday night, which it apparently declined to share with its individual teams — which the NBA does not own.
This is a shame, because you or I or even Caitlin Clark, whose rookie-scale paychecks have been the focus of every other New York Times column for the last month, could’ve given the NBA much better advice for a fraction of the $10 million in Series B funding Videocites needed from the NBA to even exist: Broadcast your product.
Anyway, the game itself seemed fun! New York won 82-79, with each of their starters hovering around 20 minutes. Sabrina Ionescu led the way with 15 points, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton scored 14 on 4-of-4 from deep.
AND1️⃣ FOR @sabrina_i20 pic.twitter.com/azr2tNCsNX— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 10, 2024
The rookie guards continued to show out, with Marquesha Davis and Jaylyn Sherrod each scoring eight points.
Each played to their strengths, with Davis making all her two-point attempts, including a couple impressive drives, judging by the highlights New York posted...
Q TRAIN TAKING OFF @MarqueshaDavis pic.twitter.com/r7AtbK2n5s— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) May 10, 2024
Sherrod again notched a couple of steals, and even got to the free-throw line for four attempts, with her box score and her head coach’s comments after the game reflecting her energizer-bunny reputation.
“She did a great job, she played so hard,” said Sandy Brondello. “She’s a game-changer like that, I think just her athleticism ... she’s just resilient, she uses her speed and got a big turnover to help us win the game. I’m happy for her.”
Ivana Dojkić, who the Libs signed in free agency to compete for the third guard spot, made her team debut after making her way over from Italy, where she played this offseason. The 5’11” Croatian also scored eight points, and hit two triples.
Dojkić developed a reputation as a knockdown shooter in her rookie season in 2023, one of 13 players in the W to shoot 40% or better from deep while making at least one three per game.
For all involved, besides the potential viewing audience, it was a much more joyous affair than Tuesday’s shellacking in Chicago, which the Liberty nearly lost by 50.
On the improved overall performance, Ionescu said, “I think just being able to get that first game out of the way, knocking some dust off and being able to take a better approach coming into this game, understanding it’s our last opportunity to play together and prep for the regular season.”
Next Up
Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images
Speaking of that regular season, we are just about there. The next time the Libs take the floor, the game will count for real. It’ll even be televised!. New York’s opener comes on the road against the Washington Mystics, with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
Box Score: New York Liberty 82, Connecticut Sun 79 - WNBA
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