New York Liberty get right against Dallas Wings, cruise to 105-91 victory

The Liberty turned in perhaps their best offensive performance of the season in a feel-good start to their mini-series in Dallas

With the acknowledgment that I may have been imprisoned by the moment, I called the New York Liberty’s win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday afternoon a clear moral loss. The Aces, missing A’ja Wilson, overcame a 20-point deficit to take the lead in the game’s final stages, eerily reminiscent to their Game 4, WNBA Finals clinching victory at the Barclays Center last season, up until the Liberty briefly got it together in the closing seconds.

But the damage had been done. That the game was that tight at all, that the Liberty froze while the Aces’ B-team played with such freedom was an indictment beyond anything the scoreboard could say.

Las Vegas only crawled halfway back before Betnijah Laney-Hamilton crumpled to the ground, clutching her right knee, a devastating-looking right knee injury. Maybe that freak accident was really what took the wind out of New York’s sails, but they’d likely have to solider on without her anyway.

Except, seemingly by divine intervention, Laney-Hamilton was fine. Not only was she listed as questionable for Tuesday’s road game against the Dallas Wings, but she would ultimately be in the starting lineup, without a minutes restriction.

“She’s been cleared to play,” said Sandy Brondello pregame. “We’ve dodged a bullet, and she’s doing pretty good, considering…” her voice trailed off, her expression of amazement leaving more words unnecessary.

Well, that’s one hurdle cleared. Next up: playing better basketball. Luckily, the Dallas Wings are really bad, a get-right game if there ever was one. And it was, with Brondello’s team turning in a cathartic performance on offense, the end of the floor that’s taken a dip lately.

Breanna Stewart set the tone, scoring 15 of her game-high 27 points in the first quarter…

Stewie drained three triples in the first period, and just about all her buckets came off cuts and catch-and-shoot opportunities. She wouldn’t have to carry the Libs, though, as everybody got in on that type of fun.

New York shot a flaming 16-of-29 from three and posted a season-high in both assists (33) and points (105). By any measure, it was one of, if not their very best offensive performance this season. Dallas kept it kinda sorta close for a while, but a Nyara Sabally layup with five minutes left in the third quarter put the margin above double-digits for the last time.

Stewie spoke about the stark improvement the team made in just two off-days: “Obviously, we’re happy that we won the game at home Sunday, but just making sure that we move the ball, that we’re getting the defense to go from one side to the other. And then, obviously, we shot the three a lot better too, so that that’s going to help things.”

Plenty of players shined within the well-oiled machine. Leonie Fiebich scored 16 points in 21 minutes, Jonquel Jones needed just ten shooting possessions to score 19 points, and crucially, Laney-Hamilton posted 10/2/5, looking unfazed by the injury scare on Sunday.

Yet, it was Sabrina Ionescu’s performance that was most encouraging. Prior to Tuesday, Ionescu played six games since missing two with a neck injury, shooting 33-of-106 in total. Simply put, she was taking a whole lot of shots without making many, culminating in a 6-of-21 performance against the Aces with just four assists, though she did hit some big ones down the stretch.

“She’s just got to be patient,” said Brondello in pregame. “Let the best shots come, continue to move the ball, and then we work on areas that we can get more open looks.”

Ionescu did exactly that, and then some, vs. Dallas. Not only were her looks much easier…

…but her decision-making was pristine. She put up 14 points and 11 assists on 5-of-9 shooting, turning the ball over just once. It was a more subdued performance from Ionescu than many of her best games, but outright masterful nonetheless.

Said Brondello: “I thought she played brilliantly tonight, just how we wanted her to play. You know, she’s just trying to get a rhythm back, probably pushing the needle a little bit. We just said, ‘let the game come to you.’ And to get 11 assists, that’s what she does. She’s a great facilitator, and then made some of her shots too.”

It was a perfect storm to ease some of the worries Sunday’s win brought to the surface. Maybe that was just the first time the Liberty faced real adversity since losing the Commissioner’s Cup Final in June, or maybe it provided genuine reasons to worry.

Either way, Tuesday’s victory is exactly what they needed, outclassing a team that isn’t in their class, getting everybody involved offensively, and not playing a single starter above 28 minutes.

“We understand we’re in the playoffs, but we don’t want to get there and not be our best. We want to use these games to continue to be our best come playoff time.” – Sabrina Ionescu

Final score: New York Liberty 105, Dallas Wings 91

Stewie Speaks

Earlier on Tuesday, Cathy Engelbert’s appearance on a CNBC talk-show made the rounds, and not for the right reasons. She was asked about the vitriol — occasionally rooted in race and/or sexuality — the Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese rivalry has produced among WNBA fans, and the league’s response to it.

Engelbert smoked the layup, emphasizing that rivalries are valuable for a sports league, like Bird and Magic, and that players should try to block out hate they receive online…

Whether on social media or directly to reporters, WNBA players from DiJonai Carrington to Kelsey Plum and Chelsea Gray expressed disappointment at Engelbert’s comments.

Breanna Stewart joined them in her postgame presser: “To be honest, I saw the interview today, and since then have been in talks with Terri [Jackson] at the WNBPA. I think that it’s disappointing to hear, because the way that the fans have surged, especially behind Caitlin and Angel coming to this league, but also bringing, like, a race aspect, to a different level.

“And you know, there’s no place for that in our sport. I think that’s really what it is. We want our sport to be inclusive for race, for gender, and really be a place where people can be themselves. So we wish, obviously, Cathy would have used her platform in a different way and have made that a little bit better, just telling the fans enough is enough.

“Become a fan of our sport, and for the new ones, lock in on everybody. But don’t be disrespectful, because as a league, we stick together, and there’s no place for that.”

Next Up

Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images

We’ll run it back for game two of this mini-series in Dallas. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night, as the Liberty go for the sweep of the season-series.

• Boxscore: New York Liberty 105, Dallas Wings 91 – WNBA
• Game Highlights: New York Liberty 105, Dallas Wings 91 (Video) – WNBA
• Sabrina Ionescu records 11 of New York’s season-high 33 assists in a 105-91 victory over the Wings – AP