NEW YORK – The New York Liberty have developed good chemistry on and off the court and it has paid off. They are the team that sits atop the WNBA standings.
New York has won nine of its last 10 games, including all but one after the Olympics, and is three games ahead of Connecticut in the race for first place entering Tuesday’s games.
Olympian and All-Star Breanna Stewart attributes Liberty’s success to her accountability.
“We have built a relationship of trust that allows us to analyze the more difficult things, talk them through, and nobody takes it personally,” she said. That carries over onto the field as well. We are all motivated to be successful as a team and to be better than last year.”
New York’s last season, the Liberty’s first with Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot on the roster, ended with a loss to the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA finals.
“Now that we have more experience,” Stewart said, “we can accept a little more those moments when things get really tough and could go the other way.”
The team has also spent more time together off the field this season, including eating dinner together, which Stewart said has helped further strengthen their bonds.
Stewart knows what it takes to win WNBA championships, having already won two with Seattle.
“Championship teams have fun, a lot of fun on the field, and we have fun even when things don’t go the way we want them to,” she said. “Sometimes you just have to smile.”
Vandersloot won a championship in Chicago and sees similarities between the Liberty and the Sky. She missed time to be with her mother before her mother died, and other key players like Betnijah Laney and Sabrina Ionescu also missed games. But other players stepped in during her absence.
“We rely on our superstars just like any other team, but we also have other players who can help us win games,” Vandersloot said. “That will help us in the long run.”
AP WNBA Poll
New York remains at the top of this week’s AP WNBA Power Poll, followed by Minnesota, Connecticut and Las Vegas. Seattle, Indiana and Phoenix followed, with Chicago and Atlanta in eighth and ninth place. Washington, Dallas and Los Angeles rounded out the poll.
Caitlin Corner
Caitlin Clark had another solid week, averaging 21 points, six rebounds and 7.5 assists to help Indiana split a two-game winning streak. The Fever lost at Minnesota while Clark attended her idol Maya Moore’s jersey retirement ceremony. The Fever have a busy week with games against Connecticut, Chicago and Dallas. Indiana’s 14-16 record is already the team’s highest win total since the 2016 season, when the Fever finished 17-17.
Strong ratings
A’ja Wilson’s last-second shot that lifted the Las Vegas Aces over the Chicago Sky helped make this game the third most-watched WNBA game of all time with 1.22 million viewers. Only the Fever-Sky game on June 16 and the New York-Indiana game on July 6 were better than the game. It was the 19th game this season to average over a million viewers – seven more than the previous record set in 1997.
Rookie influence
Angel Reese has grabbed at least 20 rebounds in three consecutive games and tied the WNBA record for most double-doubles by a rookie with 22. The first-year player for the Chicago Skys tied the rookie record set by Tina Charles in 2010 while playing for Connecticut. The WNBA record for double-double games in a season is 28, set by Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas last season. Los Angeles’ Rickea Jackson became the first rookie to ever record 25 points, six 3-pointers and three blocks in a game – a 113-110 loss to Dallas.
Player of the week
Napheesa Collier was named AP Player of the Week after averaging 27 points, 10 rebounds and 3.3 assists to help Minnesota win 3-0.
Game of the week
Indiana at Chicago, Friday. The final regular season game of 2024 between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The Fever have won two of the first three meetings. Both teams are battling for playoff spots, with Indiana trying to move up from sixth place and Chicago trying to hold on to eighth place.
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