The New York Liberty once again gave the defending champions all they could handle but failed to gain ground in their playoff quest.
Each sequel in the New York Liberty’s 2022 set with the defending champion Chicago Sky has produced more drama than the last. Alas for the New Yorkers, a happy ending didn’t await at the end of the most recent edition.
Courtney Vandersloot once again played the heroine for Chicago, who held off the visiting Liberty by an 89-81 final at Friday night at Wintrust Arena. Vandersloot earned a game-high 23 points while the Sky (22-7) were missing Candace Parker to an illness. It was the second half of a back-to-back set with Chicago, who previously fell by an 83-80 final at Barclays Center thanks to Sabrina Ionescu’s game-winning and-one. Rutgers alumna and reigning WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper added a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double, canceling out a 15-point, 10-rebound version from Natasha Howard.
The Liberty (10-18) were paced by 16 points and six assists from Ionescu but failed to generate their first winning streak in over a month. With the loss, New York sits a full two games behind the final two spots on the WNBA playoff bracket currently held by Los Angeles and Dallas. Eight games remain on the 2022 docket.
“It’s very deflating, obviously. we just got to have a little bit more toughness (at the end),” head coach Sandy Brondello said in the aftermath. “We just got to stay together in these moments here and be as disruptive as we can and stay on the same page, and stay as confident and not just (as individuals) but with each other and let’s see what we can do to close out the season.”
Despite the loss, Stef Dolson and assistant coach Olaf Lange each left with a special souvenir, as each received their championship rings from the Sky’s first WNBA Finals-winning effort last season.
Night, Court
Vandersloot, well known for her clutch shooting endeavors, has been a thorn in the Liberty’s side all season: she previously broke seafom hearts with a game-winning triple in the final stages of an 88-86 triumph at Barclays Center on June 12, spoiling an Ionescu triple-double showcase. She missed last weekend’s contest due to injury but returned with a vengeance when the Liberty entered her Windy City abode.
The WNBA’s reigning assist leader for five years running was the appropriate villainess to kill the Liberty’s hopes on Friday. All but five of her 23 points came in the second half, which included a perfect shooting effort (3-of-3 from the floor, 6-of-6 from the foul line) in the third frame before playing a vital role in Chicago’s final surge. The Liberty led 78-77 with just over three minutes remaining before they were, ironically, done in by a victorious and-one, this coming from the hands of Copper, that gave the Sky a permanent lead. It ignited a 12-3 run to close the game, one that included six points from Vandersloot, whose three-point pull-up made it a five-point game with 87 seconds remaining.
The Liberty were aware that they would have to deal with Vandersloot, whose 23-point effort was her best in over a month. They were more upset, however, by the costly turnovers that wound up costing them a chance at a statement victory.
New York averaged just over 15 turnovers per game entering Friday’s action and surpassed that cursed quota in the final minutes. They had a chance to recover after Copper’s failed and-one but three consecutive turnovers and a half-successful trip to the foul line for Ionescu led to Vandersloot’s clincher, which was preceded by a Copper steal-turned-fast-break-assist to Azura Stevens.
“That’s one thing I’ve definitely been focusing on more is making sure I make the best decision with the ball in my hand and not having happy feet,” Howard, vowing to find an issue to her turnover issues, remarked. Despite her third straight double-double, Howard was victimized by a seven-turnover game for the second time in the last four contests. She vowed to find a solution to the problem by remarking “I can do better with that.”
“I know she’ll be mad at herself. She’s one of our more experienced players out there,” Brondello said of Howard. In the broader issues of turnovers (third-worst rate in the WNBA), Brondello remarked that the Liberty’s final lost possessions (mostly through errant passes and dribbles) were most backbreaking not only because of the time and score but because they were of the unforced variety.
“It’s not that I don’t think (Chicago) overpressured us that we made those turnovers, we fumbled it, we missed the layup,” she said. “(That) gives them a little bit more confidence that they can be maybe be a little bit more aggressive in those times where we still had an opportunity. We should at least get a shot on goal. We don’t want to have turnovers.
Guess Who’s Bec
The final score painted over some team history for the long-tenured Rebecca Allen, whose three steals allowed her to become the 23rd player to earn 100 takeaways in seafoam. Having also eclipsed the century mark in blocks (104), Allen joins a far more exclusive club, joining Tina Charles, Shameka Christon, Janel McCarville, and Sue Wicks as the only New York with at least 100 each.
Having been with the team since 2015 (taking the 2020 season off due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Allen is playing her largest role with the team yet as a regular starter under Brondello, who previously worked with the Victoria native during their shared endeavors on the Australian national team, which included an appearance in last summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.
Her expanded duties have been interrupted by international commitments and injuries but her metropolitan colleagues are excited about what she’s brought to the opening five.
“I think where she really helps us is her rebounding, just that extra length defensively. She had some good stops against (Allie) Quigley,” Brondello said of Allen, who helped hold the renowned Chicago sharpshooter to 5-of-22 from the field in the last two meetings. “She’s just trying to work her way back to some really good rhythm and she’s on the way there.”
“She did some great defense on Quigley at the end of the game, so it was really good,” Marine Johannes, she of 13 points and five assists off the bench, said of Allen’s play. “She had a good game and I’m happy for her. I hope she’ll stay confident.”
Up Next
The Liberty’s crucial clashes will begin on Sunday afternoon, when they close out July with a visit from the Phoenix Mercury at Barclays Center (2 p.m. ET, The YES App/CBS Sports Network). It was a loss in Phoenix (13-16) that put the Liberty on their current decline, as the hosting Mercury held off a furious Liberty rally to earn an 84-81 victory on July 7.
Phoenix, Brondello’s former perch, is currently seeded sixth and will face the Liberty twice in the final hours (a return trip to Phoenix is slated for Aug. 6).
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
Baseline Sports NY is on Twitter @Baseline_NY
