The New York Liberty needed a strong return to Barclays Center after the All-Star break. While the team had won four of their last five, they still were only narrowly in a playoff spot and were struggling to play consistently, both within games and from game to game. New York would face the Seattle Storm, who had the worst record in the league (6-25) heading into Monday’s game.
New York Liberty vs Seattle Storm, Monday, August 3
Sabrina Ionescu started the Liberty off strong, making her first shot of the night a three, quickly followed by a second. Natisha Hiedeman made her first three as well, though the Liberty were quick to push the ball back to the net and go on a ten point run. The Liberty made a special presentation for Jonquel Jones, who made history as the only player to win WNBA MVP, Commissioner’s Cup MVP, WNBA Finals MVP, and WNBA All-Star MVP.
Ionescu earned the team’s first foul. The team brushed it off easily though, with Jones making two. The Liberty’s defense looked solid, but some shot attempts by Seattle just missed the net, with no help from the Liberty. Hiedeman was the most consistent starter for the Storm in the first with her two three-point baskets. The Storm were able to get back in the game at the end of the first, earning 12 of their 18 points in the last four minutes. New York still led by ten heading into the second.
Marine Fathoux made two threes early in the second, her first while falling to the ground. Neither team made a big splash in the first half of the second quarter, gaining only 11 points combined. Hiedeman made yet another three, finding herself three for four. Ionescu and Hiedeman seemed to cancel each other out during the game, both scoring 15 points through two. The Liberty ended the second with three made free throws for Breanna Stewart, leading by seven points before the second half.
Ionescu continued to dominate the score card, her first basket in the third being a three. Jones followed up with a three, giving the Liberty a 58-50 lead. Stewart was also having a solid game, with 19 points halfway through the third and making all seven free throw opportunities. Liberty head coach Chris Demarco challenged an out-of-bounds call with 3:46 remaining in the third, which was successful. The Liberty ended the third on an insane nine-point run to put the team up 79-67. Stewart nearly made a 50 foot shot to end things on a bang, but the ball ended up in the crowd.
Marine Johannes made a clean step back three to start the Liberty off on the right foot for the fourth. Han Xu made her second three of the night. The Liberty collectively made 41.2% of their three point shots on Monday night. The Liberty’s defense continued to show up in the fourth, holding the Storm to only 16 points, their lowest tally of the night. Jones made a three with 45 seconds remaining to really seal the deal and leave Liberty fans on their feet.
New York won the game 95-83. Stewart found herself with 24 points at the end of the night, despite missing her three-point attempts.
New York Liberty vs Seattle Storm, Wednesday, August 5
Flaujae Johnson started the game for the Storm with two, denying the Liberty two straight games with the lead for 40 minutes. The Liberty were quick to bounce back, with Rebecca Allen getting the scoring started. New York did well to shut down Seattle following the early bobble. Stewart managed a running (rather, diving) layup that put the Liberty up 21-6 with 3:46 remaining and forced the Storm to take their time out. The Storm put up a bit of a fight at the end of the first quarter, but couldn’t quite catch up to the Liberty, trailing by 11.
The Liberty took time to honor the Social Justice Fund and the four organizations that earned grants for bettering the Brooklyn community.
The Storm were able to bounce back a bit in the second, scoring 15 in the first seven minutes, compared to their 16 in the first quarter. The Liberty kept the lead though, earning rebounds and fighting for space in the paint. Allen continued to lead New York with 12 points through 19 minutes. Stewart quickly surpassed her though, with her 13th point coming in the final two minutes of the quarter. D. Malonga closed the scoring in the first half with a 25 foot three-point ball, cutting the Liberty’s lead to just four points.
The Seattle comeback in the second seemed to have rattled the Liberty at the beginning of the third. Seattle continued to outscore New York until the halfway mark of the quarter. A no-look pass from Jones to Ionescu, who made two, certainly had the crowd back in the game. Ionescu and Stewart kept trading twos for the remainder of the third. The Storm were still down only four points headed into the final quarter.
The Liberty stayed one step ahead in the fourth, with many thanks to Stewart, and won 92-86. Despite Malonga’s best efforts, scoring 31 points on her own, the Storm fell just short after a hard-fought comeback in both games.
Liberty Release Betnijah Laney-Hamilton
On Thursday the New York Liberty announced they would be releasing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. The guard had not played since July 12, cited as a coach’s decision, and only played in 17 of the Liberty’s 32 games so far this season. General Manager, Jonathan Kolb, had this to say on the decision:
We want to thank Betnijah for everything she has given to this organization. She has been an instrumental part of our success since 2021 and has made a lasting impact on our team, both on and off the court. We’re incredibly grateful for her professionalism, leadership, and the commitment she brought to the New York Liberty every day.
While this decision is incredibly difficult, we believe this will give Betnijah the best opportunity to pursue a larger basketball role. We wish her nothing but success moving forward, and she’ll always be a member of the Liberty family. As a key contributor to the first championship in franchise history, Betnijah’s legacy with the Liberty is forever cemented
The Liberty next play on Sunday, August 9 at Barclays Center against the Las Vegas Aces for Legends Weekend.
