The New York Liberty, a team that initially struggled to translate their impressive roster into on-court success, has dramatically turned their season around. After starting with a 3-4 record, they have not lost a game since May 25th, achieving seven consecutive wins.
Impressive Wins
Some of these victories have come against less competitive teams, such as the Phoenix Mercury and the Connecticut Sun. However, their 14-point win over the Atlanta Dream, who had an 8-3 record before the game, stands out as one of their most impressive performances this season.
Breanna Stewart led the way in that game with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Other major contributors included Satou Sabally with 19 points, Marine Johannes with 17 points, Pauline Austier with 16 points, and Jonquel Jones with 16 points.
Recent Success
Three days after their win against the Atlanta Dream, the Liberty secured a 22-point victory over the Washington Mystics. In this game, Stewart achieved a career-high 7 blocks.
The Liberty’s success can be partly attributed to the presence of Fiebich in the lineup. With Fiebich, the team has a 7-0 record. Although Fiebich averages 7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, she has a +8 +/- rating, which is the fifth-best in the WNBA.
The team now has the second-best plus-minus in the league, with a +7 rating, trailing only the Lynx, who have outscored their opponents by an average of 11.7 points per game.
Stewart, at 31 years old, is having another MVP-caliber season, averaging 19.9 points and 9 rebounds per game, along with 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks. Alongside her, Jonquel Jones has held down the frontcourt, while Marine Johannes and Pauline Astier have contributed significantly.
Satou Sabally, the Liberty’s biggest offseason acquisition, has averaged 10.1 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Johannes, Austier, and Sabally have all been performing exceptionally well from three-point range.
This success has come despite Sabrina Ionescu, a franchise cornerstone, appearing in only two games so far due to injuries. Ionescu is expected to return to her All-Star caliber play once she recovers.
For now, the Liberty already appear to be one of the best teams in the league, with their slow start becoming a distant memory.
Original reporting: All Sports Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
