On Friday, September 9th, a showdown unfolded in Brooklyn as the top two Eastern Conference seeds clashed: The NY Liberty and the Connecticut Sun.
Despite missing their All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu who was resting, the Liberty displayed remarkable resilience in the first half of the game.
In Sabrina's absence, Marine Johannes assumed the starting role, and the Liberty came out strong, demonstrating efficiency even while shorthanded.
Betnijah Laney quickly took control of the game, exhibiting aggression in the post and impressive shooting accuracy, making 6 out of 8 attempts. By the end of the first half, Laney had accumulated 16 points and successfully made two out of three three-point attempts.
It was evident from the outset that the Liberty's game plan was to emphasize post play, possibly in response to Sabrina Ionescu's absence, forcing other players to take on more shot-creating responsibilities.
The Sun made critical turnovers in the first half, allowing the Liberty to capitalize on their mistakes with scoring runs. Alyssa Thomas aggressively attacked the basket throughout the first quarter to keep her team competitive, but she struggled to finish through contact.
Breanna Stewart also had an efficient first half, shooting 6 out of 8 from the field and scoring twelve points. When asked about the team's strong start to finish Laney said “It was simply to come out and execute our game plan and exploit different mix matches."
The Connecticut Sun failed to find their rhythm in the first half and entered the second half, trailing by sixteen points, with the Liberty shooting at an impressive 58%, while the Suns only managed 30%.
In the second half, the Sun made a lineup change by starting reserve player Olivia Nelson-Ododa. Her impact was immediately felt as she consistently drove to the rim and finished plays. Kayla Thornton, who recently signed an extension to stay with the Liberty through the 2025 season, continued to provide valuable minutes off the bench, contributing with her defense and rebounding.
“You have Marine out there on the floor; she creates something out of nothing” said Sandy Brondello, NY Liberty's head coach.
Despite Sabrina Ionescu's absence, Marine Johannes seamlessly stepped up, scoring 18 points efficiently and sinking three challenging three-pointers. Johannes's ability to navigate screens was particularly noteworthy, as opposing teams were reluctant to let her attempt threes, allowing her to exploit opportunities to drive to the rim and create different scoring options.
The second half of the game continued to favor the Liberty, resulting in a complete domination. Notably, Brondello employed a rare strategy of playing two centers simultaneously. Jonquel Jones and Stephanie Dolson shared the court for a few minutes in the second quarter, and Dolson later played alongside Han Xu in the fourth. This unconventional approach may be worth watching in the remaining games of the season.
“Keep winning and prepare ourselves for the playoffs, we’re happy with how we are playing but we can always get better.” Stewart said. The Liberty maintained control throughout the game, with no lead changes and a lead extending to as much as 31 points.
The New York Liberty returns to action on Sunday when the team faces the Chicago Sky.
