Liberty’s defensive woes exposed again by Dream in second straight loss
Sandy Brondello used the word “embarrassed” to summarize what Phoenix did to the Liberty on Friday.
Sunday’s game at Atlanta was supposed to be an opportunity to save face and end the road trip on a high note. Instead, the Liberty lost for the fourth time in five games, this one 90-81 to the Dream.
Against the Mercury on Friday, the Liberty allowed more than 100 points for the second time in six games as their defensive issues without Jonquel Jones have grown to be quite glaring.
The Liberty knew a bounce back would be possible against the Dream, as they impressively orchestrated a run back from a 17-point deficit to grab an 86-81 victory when the teams met June 17 at Barclays Center.
It wasn’t in the cards.
The Liberty’s defensive woes were exposed yet again due to the Dream’s strong interior passing and size with Brittney Griner and Brionna Jones down low. New York was fighting to try to find the balance for offensive boards — camping out in the paint or leaving your man to help when needed.
The Liberty used a rhythm change in the third quarter to cut what had been a 20-point deficit to 10 points. That renewed energy faded in the fourth quarter.
What worked against Griner in the third didn’t hold early in the final period as she scored four quick points in the paint. Allisha Gray also forced her way to the free-throw line and had the Liberty beat in transition to extend the Dream lead back to 17 with 6:30 to go.
As the clock wound down, the Liberty failed to make stops and no matter Breanna Stewart’s relentless effort to keep the Liberty in the game with a near double-double (21 points, nine rebounds), she and the starters were pulled with two minutes left.
A late 3-pointer from Marine Johannès lent a brief ray of hope, pulling the Liberty within nine. Natasha Cloud had a strong game with 20 points, six assists and four rebounds.
Sabrina Ionescu had 14 points, but shot 5-for-15 from the field.
The Liberty had a chance to get within single digits for the first time since the first quarter at the end of the third after a Stewart floater took the game to 63-53.
Following a turnover from each team, the Liberty set up their offense and Stewart found an open Isabelle Harrison at the top of the 3-point line, but her indecisiveness led to an empty possession.
While the Liberty shut down the Dream from deep, going 4-for-19 on the day, the kill shots came from Griner and Jones, who accounted for 35 of the Dream’s dominant 62 points in the paint compared to the Liberty’s 36.
The Liberty were caught in mismatches down low that the Dream took advantage of, such as the 6-foot-3 Jones backing down the 5-10 Johannès in the paint for two points and a foul in the first quarter.
The Dream took a 20-point lead in the middle of the second quarter, causing Brondello to take her second full timeout, looking unenthused.