The surging New York Liberty started their seven-game winning streak with less than a full complement of contributors.
With the team recently returned to health, the Liberty sense things can be even sharper against the host Chicago Sky on Wednesday — and beyond.
“Now, we’re just feeling a little bit more complete as far as having our full roster. … Now we’re starting to build, you know,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said. “Beginning of the season, we were trying to kind of work through some things and just get the win, do what we could, and now … this is like our Day 1.”
New York earned its most lopsided victory in the streak to date on Sunday, topping Washington 86-64. Jonquel Jones led New York with 20 points and Stewart had 14 points, 12 rebounds and a career-best seven blocks. The Liberty improved to 10-4 and 5-0 in Commissioner’s Cup play to seal a spot in the championship game of the midseason tournament.
Sabrina Ionescu provided a jolt, too, playing for just the second time this season after navigating ankle and back injuries. She had five points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh knows his team must be diligent defensively with the Liberty back to whole.
“We’ve got to be disruptive and allow them to feel our presence,” Marsh said.
Chicago (4-9, 1-4) has been idle since Thursday’s 114-106 overtime loss at Indiana.
Undrafted rookie Sydney Taylor paced the Sky with 30 points on 10-for-14 shooting to lead five players in double figures. Still, it wasn’t enough for Chicago to avoid an eighth defeat in nine games, as the team couldn’t sustain a late surge in regulation during overtime.
The Sky also tussled with visiting Atlanta on June 9 before falling by seven points.
“I guess if we’re talkin’ about moral victories, we played harder. Showed a lot of grit in those games,” Sky guard Skylar Diggins told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We know that can be our identity. I know we spoke early about wanting to have that type of identity. We have kind of fallen short.”
Chicago is just 1-5 at home, where the team will play four of its next six games.
Diggins, the team’s top scorer at 15.2 points per game, had 21 points against Indiana. Kamilla Cardoso has gone four games without a double-double, her longest stretch of the season.
–Field Level Media
