By John “Woods” Armwood III
Sunday evening, the New York Liberty (31-7) defended their home court against the Minnesota Lynx in front of another sold out crowd. The Liberty were disappointingly defeated at home to the Lynx, 88-79. Throughout the game, the Liberty uncharacteristically was dominated in the rebounding game which affected the game dramatically. Until late in the game, the Liberty bench struggled to find offense and nearly trailed by 20 points at one point. That said, the energy in the building never dwindled and the fans never gave up on this team. Therefore, it helped propel the Liberty back into this game one score at a time led by future Hall of Famer Breanna Stewart.
“As I always say about our fans in New York, they are such a blessing to have,” Liberty forward Kayla Thornton stated. “Igniting a group of people coming together to support us in time and time out. There some days we don’t play well, yet they’re still right behind us, so I applaud every single one of them and I thank them for sticking with us. … I love our fans here there are six men.”
“There such a blessing to have,”@nyliberty guard Kayla Thornton stated. “Igniting a group of people coming together to support us time in and out. Sometimes we don’t play well, yet they’re still right behind us, … I love our fans here they're the six man.” pic.twitter.com/M4e9J1Sh92
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) September 16, 2024
Stewart recorded 38 points and 18 rebounds, however she scored 17 points in the fourth alone. The Liberty struggled the majority of the game to find any offensive rhythm, ultimately shooting 39% from the field. Yet, the crowd remained in the game and when the team needed a momentum boost the fans were right there to pick them up. The opposing guard for the Lynx, Nepheesa Collier, who ended the game with 18 points and 13 rebounds spoke highly of the competitive atmosphere the Barclay’s presents.
“I think it’s really fun because I love when you have crowds like that and then you get to silence them,” Lynx guard Napheesa Collier explained. “ … We feed off the crowd whether it’s for us or against us, it’s just really great to have all these fans and it’s almost more fun in the opposing gym because the ability to silence all of those people is just entertaining.”
h2>Playoffs are Rapidly Approaching“I think it’s fun because I love when you have crowds like that and then you silence them,”@minnesotalynx
— John “Woods” Armwood III (@J_Armwood908) September 16, 2024
SG @PHEEsespieces explained. “ …We feed off the crowd whether it’s for us or against us."@nyliberty@WNBA pic.twitter.com/w06XqSu0G1
The Liberty are forced to correct and begin playing effectively quickly before the playoffs arrive. The conclusion to the regular season ends on the Sept. 19th. That said, the Liberty have won three of their last four, however those games have been much closer than intended. Moving forward, the Liberty won’t be able to struggle and play inconsistently if they wish to have successful playoff run.
In the final minutes of the game, the Liberty propelled by the fans' energy managed to get several turnovers and key stops, ultimately leading to key transition scores that helped make the game close. That said, a proven asset heading into the playoffs is Nyara Sybally. Despite her battling with injuries throughout the season, she came in late in the game and helped give the offensive energy the team needed. Utilizing her physicality and abilities to set hard screens the Liberty managed to find their rhythm, unfortunately it appeared too late in the game to make a tremendous difference.
There’s a high possibility these two teams will meet again throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Lynx have bested the Liberty throughout their matchups during the season (3-1). Moving forward, the Liberty will have to find some to neutralize their length and size. In many ways, these teams are extremely similar and the Lynx continue to find ways to be successful against the best team in the WNBA.
“There’s more than one way to be successful,” Coach Cheryl Reeve emphasized. “ You can be a super team or you can win collectively.”
What’s Next for the Liberty?
Tomorrow evening, the Liberty will be on the road against the Washington Mystics (13-25). Hopefully, the Liberty will be able to get back on track and find themselves heading into the playoffs.