NY Liberty vs. Dallas Wings preview: Liberty look to complete the Texas two-step
Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images
The New York Liberty are back, and before they head home, they take on the Dallas Wings in Texas. Back to work. The New York Liberty hit the road for a Texas two step against the Dallas Wings. Step one was silky smooth as they put on a show in route to a 105-91 victory.
Where to follow the game
MY9 for the locals. Prime Video for everybody else. Tip after 8 PM.
Injuries
All clear for the Liberty.
No Stephanie Soares for the Wings.
The game
The Liberty won games one, two, and three. This is the final meeting of 2024 for these two teams.
Ball movement is a beautiful thing. When the Liberty zip the ball all over the court, they go from great to something even more special
awesome possession from the New York Liberty pic.twitter.com/hwBD27lm6y— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) September 11, 2024
That’s the good stuff.
Speaking of good, Breanna Stewart will look to put on another All WNBA First Team caliber performance tonight. Stew York did her usual thing on Tuesday night with a hyper efficient 27 points on .500/.500/1.000 shooting splits. When Stewart is able to catch and shoot from three point range, it helps keep her in rhythm and opens up the rest of the court for her. Stewart does everything at an incredibly high level and now that her three point shot has returned, makes her even more dangerous to deal with.
Sabrina Ionescu got back to the business of driving to the basket and finishing at the rim. Sab only scored 14 points, but her game was A+. She was making her way to the basket, not settling for tough floaters, and did not force up tough three pointers. When she plays within the system, it makes her life so much easier. Against a porous Dallas defense, Ionescu’s passing ability ensures that her teammates will get a clean shot attempt on every possession.
All it takes is one basket. When Arike Ogunbowale sees the ball go in the net, it’s go time. On Tuesday, she started 0-3 from the field and went 8-13 to close things out. For New York, they just have to continue throwing a variety of defenders on her and hope that her shot didn’t make it to the arena that night. If they’re able to mix up the coverages and crowd her space, the defense will be able to control the flow of the game.
It’s hard to beat a team four consecutive times in one season. Teams get to making adjustments when they see the same opponent more than once, and professional pride kicks in as well.
Player to watch: Satou Sabally
Greg Bibb and Wings management have one job this winter. That job is ensuring Satou returns to Dallas and remains a key part of their future. Since her return from injury, the unicorn has worked to get back to her All W form. She’s doing more playmaking this season and is averaging a career best five assists per game. She’s also shooting a career best 45.2 percent from three point range as she’s been able to build on her success from deep in 2023. She’s essential to their operation and the Wings have to do everything to make sure she’s happy and wants to stay put. With more teams coming in, more chances of money and prestige arise. With Sabally getting better by the day, Dallas might be able to restore some past glory.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton avoided major injury and came back looking good as new on Tuesday. Bee only played 21 minutes, but with the team in full control, didn’t need to push herself too hard. Having her back completes the Liberty puzzle and allows Sandy Brondello to fully deploy the team’s entire arsenal. Along with Laney-Hamilton, Sabally’s German National Team teammate, Leonie Fiebich, will get some time to shine tonight. Leo has been wonderful and has done incredibly well as a spot starter. Teams have to actually pay attention to her and properly scout the Liberty so they account for her off the cuff three point attempts. It pays and having a player like Leo who is such a good defender is a great sign for the Liberty.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for Frankie Beverly
More reading: 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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