NY Liberty vs. Atlanta Dream preview: The chase for the Commissioner’s Cup continues
Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
The Liberty head south looking for their fifth straight win and third in Commissioner’s Cup play. An old friend looks to slow New York down. A good bit of business for a Tuesday evening. The New York Liberty started off incredibly strong against the Chicago Sky. However, they lost the plot in the middle quarters as they tend to do. However, they snapped back to reality and rode a dominant fourth quarter to their fourth straight victory. They are now 8-2 on the WNBA season and 2-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play.
The opponent tonight has big aspirations in 2024. The Atlanta Dream have the goal of being a top four seed by the time the playoffs start. That goal took a bit of a hit after they lost to the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.
Where to follow the game
MY9 on TV. Fox Local, the YES App, and the new Liberty Live on streaming. Tip after 7:30.
Injuries
No Nyara Sabally. Courtney Vandersloot is listed as questionable due to personal reasons.
Jordin Canada is out with a hand injury. When will she be back? The Dream haven’t given a timeline so your guess is as good as mine.
The game
So, we have a firsthand opportunity to see what the Dream are cooking. Atlanta has a ton of talent, but they need to put it all together. Cat Ariall has more at Swish Appeal:
The Dream’s inability to score effectively around the basket make points from behind the arc or at the line precious. Atlanta is near the bottom of the league in points in the paint (28.9 per game) and second-chance points (9.7 per game). That absence of often easier opportunities has resulted in Atlanta settling for midrange jumpers, as a league-high 14.8 percent of their points per game come from that area of the floor, even though the Dream don’t shoot particularly well on such shots; their overall field goal percentage is 40.8 percent, the fourth-worst mark in the league. In contrast, Atlanta is shooting 35 percent from 3, the third-best mark in the league. Yet, they’re taking a below-average 19.6 3-point attempts per game.
Getting to the rim has been tough for Atlanta, and they’ll be facing a Liberty team that allows teams to only shoot 55.3 percent inside the restricted area, second best in the W.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton has drawn some of the best perimeter players in the league and she’ll get a chance to match up with a player that’s heading to Paris for the Olympics. On Wednesday, Team USA announced that Rhyne Howard will be on the 3x3 team for the Summer Games. It’s a well deserved honor for the former No. 1 overall pick and current franchise player. She has the potential to take over a game at any moment, but it’s been a bit of a slog for her so far. In seven games, Howard is averaging a bit over 16 points a night but doing it on 39/26/78 shooting splits. As noted above, the Dream’s shot diet leaves something to be desired and if Laney-Hamilton can keep forcing her into those shots, you’ve done your job as a defender.
On the other side, Sabrina Ionescu will keep trying to find her way to the rim. On Tuesday, Ionescu was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the sixth time in her career
EARNED IT. pic.twitter.com/MICzQU9Giq— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) June 4, 2024
For Sab, she’s found the right balance of aggressiveness and playmaking. She’s mentioned before that she got herself by overthinking when she drove to the basket. That ability makes her such a challenging matchup and the more she puts pressure on teams, the more of a threat she is when she’s on the court.
If all else fails, give it to Breanna Stewart and let her work. Stew York led the way on Tuesday with a smooth 33/14/3/1/1 line. It took her 38 minutes and with this being the first night of a three games in four days stretch, Liberty fans are hoping she won’t have to use too much energy tonight.
Player to watch: Tina Charles
A familiar face in a whole new place. For six seasons, Tina Charles carried the torch for the Liberty franchise as they dealt with a bevy of changes and transitions. Since she was traded in 2020, she’s bounced around a fair amount. After not playing in 2023, she returned to the league and signed with the Dream and her old teammate, Tanisha Wright. Charles has done well in her new home and is currently fifth in the league in rebounding at 9.6 per game. Having a post like Charles who can call her own number and make something happen when you need it is extra valuable late in games when perimeter scoring is harder to come by.
When Jonquel Jones is dialed in, good luck stopping her. JJ got saddled with foul trouble for the first three quarters of Tuesday’s game, but she regained her footing down the stretch. In the fourth quarter, JJ put up a 4/4/1/1/1 line while deterring everything the Sky tried at the rim.
From the Vault
One for Rico Wade
More reading: Peachtree Hoops, Swish Appeal, Chicago Sun Times, 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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