Storm pick up 2nd win vs New York

The New York Liberty defeated the Los Angeles Sparks 89-79 at Barclays Center (Photo NY Liberty, Brandon Todd)

By Noah Zimmerman

noah@queensledger.com

The New York Liberty opened up their 8-game July homestand with a thriller against the LA Sparks. They picked up a  win to slow a troublesome skid that’s lasted since their first defeat of the season. Since their 9-0 start, New York lost five of seven and have been lackluster on both ends of the court without star center Jonquel Jones.

Making a long-awaited return to the Liberty bench was Leonie Fiebich. The German made her return from the EuroBasket tournament, providing immediate relief for a thin-stretched Liberty lineup. Fiebich put up strong numbers in Germany’s quarterfinal finish, and while she didn’t fill the stat sheet too much in her return she impacted both sides of the floor.

Leonie Fiebich made her return to the Liberty lineup after international duty with Germany. (Photo: Brandon Todd, NY Liberty)

For LA, former Liberty nemesis Kelsey Plum dazzled in her first game at the Barclays Center as a member of the Sparks. Plum previously won a ring on the Brooklyn floor with the Las Vegas Aces two seasons ago. The three-time All-star scored 7 of her 13 points in the opening quarter. 

There were a number of head-turning plays in the opening half, including a clutch one-footed three-pointer by Marine Johannes amid an expiring shot clock. New York’s French guard helped ensure a razor-thin 21-20 advantage after the 1st.

Johannes continued to impress in the second quarter with one of New York’s most impressive plays of the year. In transition Johannes queued up a perfect behind-the-back pass to Breanna Stewart, who scored a layup through contact and hit the resulting foul shot.

Kennedy Burke and Natasha Cloud helped add to the first half scoring with a pair of clutch threes, but LA remained on their heels. On the following possession, Stewart eyed a pull-up jumper that rimmed out. Had the shot gone down, the arena would have exploded. Instead, the visitors were able to fend off New York through one half, leading 41-37.

In what’s often been a troubling quarter for them, New York flipped a switch in the 3rd. The Liberty’s 11-0 run continued as they seized control, pumping up the sold-out crowd. After a tough bucket, Isabelle Harrison knocked down a free throw to knot the game at 53, and the Barclays Center finally erupted.

The hosts shot an impressive 63% in the quarter, hitting five of their seven threes. They outscored the Sparks by 14 to seize a 69-59 edge entering the final stretch. Cloud led the charge with 11 points, with Ionescu adding 10. Both would finish with impressive 17-point second halves.

LA kept the game close near the end, but the Liberty ultimately picked up a much-needed 10-point win. Given the recent troubles and with Atlanta right on their heels, head coach Sandy Brondello identified Thursday’s matchup as a must-win.

New York couldn’t keep their momentum as they fell to the Seattle Storm for the second time this year. (Photo: Brandon Todd, NY Liberty)

Unfortunately the Liberty weren’t able to carry over their success for Sunday’s matchup with the Seattle Storm. While they were finally able to out-rebound their opponents in back-to-back games, the shots just weren’t falling for New York.

After leading at the break, the Liberty only scored 6 points in the 3rd quarter. They were outscored by 16, creating a deficit they wouldn’t be able to overcome in the final period.

“They came out and executed and we didn’t,” head coach Sandy Brondello said after the loss. “We had to get a little bit tougher and have more urgency.”

To make matters worse, Isabelle Harrison went down with a knee injury, making her questionable for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Aces. With the Liberty already missing Jones, a lack of frontcourt bodies could make matters even more difficult after a 3-6 span.

After Tuesday the Liberty have five more games in their homestand. On Sunday the 13 they take on the Atlanta Dream in a pivotal matchup for Eastern Conference positioning at 3pm. Then on Wednesday night, New York hosts the Indiana Fever at 7:30pm.

The stretch of games in Brooklyn concludes with another matchup with Indiana on July 22, the Mercury on Friday the 25, and a rematch with Los Angeles on July 26.