Looking to continue their strong start to a long July home stand, the New York Liberty were intending to hone in on their attention to detail and shrinking the floor in their matinee matchup against the 11-7 Seattle Storm.
The matchup started with both teams quickly getting on the board. Natasha Cloud kept the early momentum going with a three pointer just two minutes into the game. Breanna Stewart worked to keep the Liberty’s spirits up, exhibiting strong control of the ball and her body, putting New York up two more before Leonie Fiebich was fouled, although she only converted one free throw. The Liberty continued to show a strong defensive effort but the Storm were able to gather a majority of their points in the paint during the first quarter, a notable weak spot in New York’s game after losing Jonquel Jones to an ankle injury in June.
Down only one point late in the first, the Storm once again clustered the paint, gaining their first lead since the early moments of the game. The momentum appeared to have shifted, especially after Seattle’s three-point shot from Alysha Clark. Stewart went for a jumping three to end the first, but came up short, leaving the Liberty trailing 22-18.
The Liberty started the second quarter with a strong offensive front, aided by a solid defensive effort, with Rebekah Gardner stealing the ball and getting the rebound off Stewart’s attempt. With the game tied at 22 early in the second, a Storm timeout helped the teams compose themselves, with both teams getting quick threes, by Sabrina Ionescu and Erica Wheeler. Ionescu came back with force, making another three and then assisting a two point layup made by Gardner. After a small run from Seattle, a pair of threes from Ionescu and Cloud brought the energy back into the Brooklyn crowd. With 13.8 seconds in the half, Ionescu made a stunning four-point play, making the free throw after a three. The Liberty led the Storm 44-41 heading into the half.
The Seattle Storm were able to strike first in the second half and crafted a methodical and offensive-minded game to control the early minutes. The Storm controlled most of the third quarter and the Liberty were unable to make any of their shots, resulting in a 12 point run by the visiting team. Ultimately, the Storm looked unnervingly comfortable throughout much of the third. Cloud finally brought the Liberty back to life with a two-point layup and a two-point jump shot. The team was unable to utilize much of the momentum provided by the fan-favorite guard and ended the quarter down 63-50.
Seattle continued to dominate the scoreboard in the beginning of the fourth, earning their largest lead of the day (19 points). The home team was able to reduce the deficit to 14 points and gained a bit of momentum but looked to be struggling to find the basket. Honestly, it looked as though a magnet had been placed on the hoop. With just under five minutes remaining, New York trailed by 16 points and were desperate to get points on the board, but Seattle found a solid defensive pocket and were able to shut down many of New York’s chances.
Prior to the game, Seattle head coach, Noelle Quinn emphasized that screening was a heavy focus for her team this season. With a minute remaining, the Liberty perked up a bit and were able to cut their deficit to nine points. Despite a valiant effort, the Liberty lost the game with a final score of 79-70. Liberty head coach, Sandy Brondello, cited the team’s defense as a sore point throughout the game.
The New York Liberty will look to bounce back quickly before their next home game on Tuesday, July 8 against the Las Vegas Aces, the third in their eight-game home stand.
