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New York Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty's dangerous depth that can ‘make a huge difference' on display in rout of Sun
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW The Liberty's dominant 100-52 win Sunday was a total team effort, and it allowed New York to show off its dangerous depth. The Liberty's bench got extended playing time in the lopsided game. Advertisement With that, New York's reserves managed to outscore the Sun's starters 35-31. Isabelle Harrison played her best game in a Liberty uniform, recording nine points, six rebounds and three steals in close to 17 minutes. Marine Johannès added eight points and six assists. 'Our bench did a great job of coming in today,' Natasha Cloud said. 'When you're talking about what is going to make us such a scary and deep team going down into playoffs and potentially finals is how deep our bench is and how versatile we are and that's going to make a huge difference.' Advertisement Marine Johannès had eight points and six assists off the bench for the Liberty in Sunday's thrashing of Connecticut. Getty Images 'Staying ready' has become a sports cliché. But it's one thing to say it and another to actually embody it. Advertisement It's not always easy to put ego aside, but sacrifice and selfless play are pillars of this team's culture. 'Everyone understands the importance of when you go out there and you get your minute — whether it's one, whether it's 20 — you got to go out there and make a positive impact for this team,' Sabrina Ionescu said. 'If you do, you're going to continue to help us win games. … And I think you're able to see a team that is playing for one another out there and that's what I'm most proud of.' Kennedy Burke scored seven points off the bench for the Liberty on Sunday. Getty Images The Liberty's bench, led by Kennedy Burke, has been a reliable bunch. Advertisement They currently lead the WNBA with a net rating of 6.1 through seven games. Cloud and Breanna Stewart each finished plus-44, which is a franchise record. The impressive plus-minus mark was also the fifth-highest regular-season mark in league history. Four of the five starters finished plus-40 or better. And Johannès led that category among reserves, finishing plus-22. Advertisement Sun associate head coach Roneeka Hodges is the latest former Liberty staffer to receive her 2024 championship ring. 'I'm excited,' Hodges said before the game. 'It was a wonderful three years that I spent here and it was capped off with the icing on top, with a championship.' Hodges spent the past three seasons as an assistant on Sandy Brondello's staff. The Sun promoted her from assistant to associate head coach after Connecticut picked up its first win of the season Friday. Advertisement After the Yankees lost in last year's World Series and the Knicks fell in the Eastern Conference finals Saturday, the Liberty — and perhaps Gotham FC, too — might once again be New York's only shots at championships this year. Asked at the end of her scrum about being the city's only hope for a championship, Cloud said, '[The Liberty] won last year, I've been seeing a lot of tweets talking about we haven't won a championship since 2011, I know it's not my champions, but I just feel like there needs to be respect here, so Liberty f—ing biberty.'
New York Post
23-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Liberty face early litmus test against Caitlin Clark, Fever — here are the keys to watch
CHICAGO — The Liberty have looked the part of defending champions through the first week of action. New York beat the Aces by 14 points in its season opener Saturday before throttling the Sky by 25 points Thursday in Chicago. Saturday, though, may provide the Liberty (2-0) their toughest test yet. The Liberty are set to enter the hostile environment of Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis to play the 2-1 Fever. 5 New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) brings the ball up court against the Chicago Sky during the first half at Wintrust Arena on Thursday. Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Will New York make a statement against a team that may be one of its main competitors down the stretch? Or will Caitlin Clark & Co. expose the Liberty's imperfections? Here are three things to watch: 5 Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever handles the ball as Rhyne Howard #10 of the Atlanta Dream plays defense during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on May 22, 2025. Getty Images Liberty stress test New York has looked dominant in stretches of its first two games. There's no denying the offensive firepower of the Liberty's starting lineup. The addition of Natasha Cloud and the permanent promotion of Leonie Fiebich bolstered the Liberty's opening lineups' defense and made New York possibly the scariest starting five in the league. But the Liberty have been far from perfect, and there's plenty of things that need to be cleaned up. 5 Natasha Cloud of the New York Liberty dribbles the ball during the game against the Chicago Sky on May 22, 2025 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, IL. NBAE via Getty Images Coach Sandy Brondello admitted as much in her postgame press conference after Thursday's blowout victory. 'I wasn't happy at all,' Brondello said. 'We were all clunky. And regardless of the score, we didn't have the pace and the urgency and the spacing that we need as we moved forward.' All three of those traits will be important against a high-functioning team like the Fever. Indiana leads the league with an 88.9 defensive rating and holds teams to the second-fewest points per game (75.) Against a team such as Chicago, the Liberty can live with those lapses. But that won't fly against the Fever. 3-point barrage The Liberty set a WNBA record for 3s in a regular-season game Thursday. Eight of nine Liberty players who attempted a 3-pointer made at least one from behind the arc as they finished 19-for-34. Cloud and Kennedy Burke each drained four treys. 5 Natasha Cloud and Kennedy Burke of the New York Liberty celebrating after scoring against the Las Vegas Aces. Getty Images Burke believes the Liberty coming off a hot shooting night should bode well for Saturday's game. 'It builds momentum to the next game,' Burke said. 'We got a tough matchup coming up and we just have to stay prepared offensively (and) defensively, we got to be better.' Clark's bounceback The Liberty's game at Indiana is succeeding an uncharacteristic off night for Clark. The second-year Fever star scored 11 points on 11 shots and went 0-for-5 from deep Thursday. 5 Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever reacts as she draws a foul from Rhyne Howard #10 of the Atlanta Dream during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on May 22, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. Getty Images It marked the first time as a pro Clark failed to record a made-3-pointer. Despite that, though, the Fever, powered by Natasha Howard's 26 points, beat the Dream 81-76. Clark will be looking to rebound from a shaky performance against the defending champions.
Reuters
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Liberty sink WNBA-record 19 3-pointers, scorch Sky
May 23 - Natasha Cloud and Kennedy Burke each hit four of New York's WNBA-record 19 3-pointers and combined for 35 points as the Liberty rolled to a 99-74 win over the host Chicago Sky on Thursday night. Sabrina Ionescu set the pace early while scoring 16 for the Liberty (2-0), who went 19-for-34 from beyond the arc to make history. New York shot just 4-for-21 on 3-point attempts during its season-opening 92-78 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. New York's Breanna Stewart (12 points) netted two 3-pointers, while Jonquel Jones (11 points) made three from long distance and posted seven rebounds with four blocks. Ionescu and Marine Johannes added two treys apiece. Cloud had a team-high 18 points and eight assists while Kennedy Burke scored 17 for the Liberty, who broke things open by outscoring the Sky 25-9 in the second quarter. In the first half, New York shot 58.6 percent from the field and 8-for-15 from 3-point range to lead 53-32 at the break. It helped that Chicago shot 32.3 percent and committed 16 turnovers that led to 18 points for the Liberty through the first two quarters. The Liberty shot 55.2 percent overall while the Sky (0-2) wound up at 36.2 percent. Chicago star Angel Reese grabbed 12 rebounds but shot 0-for-8 from the field and 2-for-6 at the free-throw line. Her only points came from two foul shots with 6:18 left in regulation. Rachel Banham had 15 points, Courtney Vandersloot added 14 and Rebecca Allen logged 11 for Chicago, which has been outscored by 60 points in its first two contests. Ionescu scored 10 points and Jones had eight as New York led 28-23 after one quarter. The Liberty essentially took control by scoring the first eight points of the second period. New York led 36-30 before Stewart knocked down a trey to ignite a 15-0 run that also featured 3-pointers from Burke and Marine Johannes. Paced by back-to-back triples from Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins, the Sky scored the first eight of the second half to trail 53-40. However, Reese was slapped with a technical following a loose-ball foul with 7:49 left in the third. Ionescu then hit a free throw that began a 12-4 spurt for the Liberty. Cloud scored New York's final six points of the third and first five of the fourth. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liberty set WNBA regular-season record with 19 3-pointers in 99-74 rout of Sky
CHICAGO (AP) — Led by Natasha Cloud with four 3-pointers and 18 points, the defending champion New York Liberty broke the WNBA regular-season record by making 19 3s in a 99-74 victory over the Chicago Sky on Thursday night. Eight of nine Liberty players who attempted a 3-pointer made at least one from deep as they finished 19 for 34 (56%). The previous team and WNBA highs were 18 3-pointers in a regular-season game. The Las Vegas Aces made 23 3s in a playoff game in 2022. Advertisement Cloud made 4 of 5 from deep and had eight assists. Kennedy Burke had 17 points off the bench, going 4 of 4 on 3s. Sabrina Ionescu scored 16 points, Breanna Stewart 12 and Jonquel Jones 11 for New York (2-0). New York shot 55% overall and made 16 of 17 free throws. Chicago's Angel Reese was 0-for-8 shooting and scored two points. It was the first time since 2021 that she failed to make at least one basket, ending a streak of 136 games, college and pro. She went 0 of 6 for Maryland in a 2021 Sweet 16 loss to Texas. Reese had 12 rebounds, eight on offense, and five of Chicago's 23 turnovers. The Liberty led 28-23 after one quarter and 36-30 in the second period before closing the half on a 17-2 run. Advertisement Chicago (0-2) scored the first eight points of the third quarter but was never closer than that 13-point deficit. Cloud scored eight points in New York's 13-4 run in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter for an 88-58 lead. Rachel Banham led Chicago with 15 points. Fourteen-year veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who played for New York last season when the Liberty won their first WNBA championship, scored 14 for the Sky. Up next New York plays at Indiana on Saturday and Chicago visits Los Angeles on Sunday. ___ AP WNBA:
Forbes
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Where To Watch New York Liberty Away Games In New York City
Natasha Cloud #9 of the New York Liberty celebrates after making a basket with Kennedy Burke #22 ... More against the Las Vegas Aces at Barclays Center on May 17, 2025 in New York City. Reigning WNBA champions The New York Liberty are back at the Barclays Center for the 2025 basketball season. And while home games draw plenty of fans to fill up the stadium's two-tiers of seats, away games can feel a bit harder to watch with fellow fans, particularly while the city awaits three much-anticipated women's sports bars slated to open this year. While many sports bars have yet to prioritize showing women's sports (especially with sound on TV!), these venues are go-tos for Liberty fans to watch their team win away from home: New York Liberty fans celebrate during the 2024 New York Liberty Ticker Tape Victory Parade on ... More October 24, 2024 in New York City. The beloved Bed-Stuy bar kicked off Liberty season with a special Ellie-themed menu and a food truck, plus spiked slushies, beer bucket specials, a life-size paper mache Ellie, and more. The bar will be showing games all season. This new gastropub and sports bar in Greenpoint is dedicated to showing New York Liberty games on screen. There's fancy bites like a tuna melt croquette and black garlic Caesar, plus cocktails and drink specials named after male athletes. That Bar, a women-owned pub in Park Slope just a few blocks from the Barclays Center attracts fans to watch all New York Liberty games. Visit for a menu of baked (not fried) bites like chicken tenders and burgers. Brooklyn's oldest lesbian bar, Ginger's in Park Slope, is a hot spot to watch daytime New York Liberty games. This Lower East Side hangout known for craft bar, cocktails and small bites is committed to playing New York Liberty games all season. Reservations are available, so curate a group to share the Irish nachos on waffle fries. This sports bar in FiDi champions women's sports and often partners with Wilka's (a women's sports bar slated to open on the Lower East Side this summer) to host watch parties. Visit for New York Liberty games, plus bottomless brunch on weekends.
