The New York Liberty began the final month of the season on a sour note, as they came up short in Uncasville despite four in double figures.
The WNBA All-Star break allowed the New York Liberty a break from their 2018 curse of genuine stretches of strong play negated by giving up points in bunches.
Wednesday night was a rude awakening.
Jonquel Jones led the way with 21 points off the bench, as her Connecticut Sun earned a 92-77 win from the Liberty at Mohegan Sun Arena. Connecticut (15-12), currently stationed in the league’s penultimate playoff spot, took the season series from New York (7-19) two games to one.
Doomed to their fifth straight loss, the Liberty are now seven games out of a playoff spot with just eight left to play. Sugar Rogers led the way in points with 16, while Tina Charles added 12 more in her return from the All-Star festivities in Minnesota.
.@14Sugar creating off the dribble ☑️ #ShowUp? pic.twitter.com/kzNQfBU8II
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 2, 2018
3rd Star: Sugar Rogers
Forced into a larger role with guard injuries limiting the Liberty to 10 players, Rogers played 32 minutes and paced New York scorers, sinking a trio of triples in the process. She also added six assists on the evening.
.@AmandaZahuiB is feeling it! She's got a team-high 13 points ?#ShowUp? pic.twitter.com/PGxVlN7dvq
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 2, 2018
2nd Star: Amanda Zauhi B.
Things got physical in the second half, and Zauhi B. helped the Liberty keep pace with the desperate Sun. Hitting five of seven shots, Zauhi B. added 14 points off the bench, adding two rebounds and a steal.
.@adifferent1five with the euro finishes at the basket with the left‼️ #ShowUp? pic.twitter.com/pBgjJmpU7Y
— New York Liberty (@nyliberty) August 2, 2018
1st Star: Brittany Boyd
Boyd continued her starting lineup showcase, continuing to be a jack of all trades point guard. She led all players with eight assists and tied Charles for the New York lead with six rebounds. With 14 points, tying a season-high, Boyd reached double figures in scoring for the first time since July 15 against Chicago.
.@jus242 had a big game off-the-bench, scoring 21 PTS in the @ConnecticutSun victory! #WatchMeWork
Catch some of her best moments from tonight's performance! ?️?? pic.twitter.com/VGQYaoDYwr
— WNBA (@WNBA) August 2, 2018
How It Was Decided
The Liberty put up a strong fight when Connecticut had several chances to pull away. For example, the Sun led by as much as 11 in the first quarter, but the Liberty used an 11-0 run to take the lead early in the second. Likewise, a 10-0 run to open the third frame put them back ahead.
The problem was, however, not only were the Liberty unable to preserve the leads, they allowed Connecticut to score at will to undo any good they created. The second quarter lead was followed up by a 19-3 Sun run, while their third-quarter takeover was erased by an 11-2 stretch.
Nonetheless, the Liberty were able to keep the score in single digits for a majority of the game, trying to set up another classic finish, as the teams’ first two meetings were decided by buzzer-beating triples. However, Connecticut negated the need for heroics, outscoring the Liberty 28-19 in the final stanza.
Game Notes
- Shavonte Zellous (right ankle sprain) missed her fourth straight game. Zellous was the buzzer-beating heroine in the teams’ last meeting on July 10.
- Epiphanny Prince (right eye contusion) sat out for the second time in three games.
What’s Next
The Liberty will look to end their losing streak as they return to Westchester County Center on Saturday afternoon against the Indiana Fever (3:00 PM, MSG+). They’ll look to pull off a season sweep of Indiana, whom they’ve beaten twice this season, most recently in a 78-75 win on June 10. This will begin the Liberty’s final homestand of the season, a four-game stretch that will include a game at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
