2022 NY Liberty Notebook, Volume 6: “We’re peaking at the right time”
It all comes down to this!!
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There is nothing like playoff basketball.
Every game just means more. Every player finds that extra gear, and everybody wants to be remembered. It’s all about leaving your legacy, and we’re closing in on the best time of the year.
For the Liberty, they got a taste of the postseason last year, falling to the eventual Finals runner-up Phoenix Mercury on a late foul call. This year, it’s been about getting back to that point, doing whatever it takes. In August, the Liberty have had the keys to their own success, and they’ve responded at an elite level.
Ahead of tomorrow’s regular-season finale with a playoff berth at stake, here’s what will need to happen for New York to make the playoffs. Win against Atlanta, and they’re in! Lose, and they’ll need the Lynx to lose to Connecticut and a Mercury win over the Sky. Anything can happen, and that’s what I love about this sport.
With that, let’s take a look at some recent storylines.
Pressure makes diamonds
I mentioned at the end of Volume 5 how after the Chicago matchup on July 29, every game from then onward would be against teams No. 6-9 in the standings at the time. The Liberty controlled their destiny, and it was time to lay it all on the line.
Since then, the Liberty have played some of their best basketball this season. They’ve gone 5-2 since that road loss to the Sky, picking up blowout victories over playoff hopefuls like the Mercury and the Sparks (since eliminated), and a big-time road win yesterday against the Dream.
In Wednesday’s road game against Dallas, New York faced a 13-point deficit after the first quarter. With their backs against the wall, they rallied and fought all the way back, outscoring Dallas by 31 points over the rest of the game. Four players scored in double figures, including team captain Sami Whitcomb, who had 15 points and was a game-high +29.
During what was the most important stretch of the season, the Liberty have posted a top-two defensive rating (95.0 points per 100 possessions) and a top-three net rating (7.3 points per 100 possessions) this month. Pressure busts pipes, but it also makes diamonds. Although the Liberty still have their regular-season finale tomorrow, the way this team has played in August is truly inspiring.
Queen B’s renaissance
When Betnijah Laney underwent surgery on June 1 to repair her meniscus, I was pretty heated. I mean, she’s a former All-Star who stuffed the stat sheet last year. For any coach around the league, she’s gotta be all up in your mind for who to stop on the game plan.
Nevertheless, I wouldn’t let this bad news break my soul, and neither did the Liberty. They played with constant energy, as Betnijah sashayed on the sideline in cozy fits. It looked bleak at times this season, but as the calendar turned to August, Laney returned, healthy and ready for her summer renaissance.
After some early struggles in her first two games back, Betnijah has blossomed as of late, reminding everyone that she is that girl.
In her first start since coming back from injury, Laney had a season-high 17 points yesterday to go along with three assists. This comes after chipping in 11 points and two assists against the Wings on Wednesday. For New York to add an All-Star caliber player to the lineup this late in the season, that’s a luxury that many teams don’t have. With the leap that Ionescu has taken playing without Laney for most of the season, the two of them together for the rest of this year and beyond could be very, very dangerous.
Looking back
To end this edition of the notebook, I wanted to go all the way back to my season preview from over three months ago to see how close some of my predictions were and what I could learn from them.
First up: key departures. I had the former Louisville duo of Jazmine Jones and Kylee Shook in this section. Now, while I am a Cardinals fan, these selections weren’t unbiased and I really thought what they brought to the court would be missed this season. However, credit to the Liberty, as these additions to the roster throughout the year helped offset these losses.
I underlined the incorporation of Stefanie Dolson, Jocelyn Willoughby and potentially Marine Johannès as big moves for the squad. I’d say I went two for three on these predictions, with Willoughby going down as an incomplete due to injury. Big Mama Stef has been a big piece to the puzzle this year, playing and starting in every game this season. While there’s been ups and downs, she has been efficient and reliable and you can’t ask for much more.
As for Marine Johannès? I could wax poetic about her and her style of play forever, but I’ll just say she has been a revelation this season for New York. Highlight after highlight every time she stepped on the court, but she was more than just flashy passes, as she ranks top 10 in the league in three-point makes per game and three-point percentage. Simply put, just a phenomenal player.
Lastly, my key stat to focus on was turnovers. I’m gonna grade this as a success too! Last year, the Liberty led the league in turnovers per game and turnover rate. This year, they improved in both categories, averaging fewer mistakes on offense.
All in all, this season has been a wild ride from beginning to end. From a historically dreadful start to the year, to a euphoric month of June, to regressing in July before clawing their way back into the playoff picture in August, this team has been through the wringer. There’s been ups and downs, but that’s the beauty of basketball. Now, with one last game left tomorrow against Atlanta, the Liberty can clinch their second consecutive playoff berth and put a bow on a roller-coaster debut for Coach Brondello. Let’s see if they can close it out with a win.
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.