Heading into the game joust between the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty; fans certainly may have been disappointed to note the absence of Sabrina Ionescu and Diana Taurasi from the hardwood.
Still working through the aftermath of her 2020 ankle injury, Ionescu is currently out due to ankle tendonitis. Seemingly suffering from the same bout of star-targeting bad luck as Ionescu; Taurasi will be out for around another couple of weeks with a fractured sternum.
The game marked the third one of the week for the Mercury—following two losses to the Dallas Wings—and the first for the Liberty in just eight days. Though I tend to place my bets on the team that’s been kept on its toes by a steady flow of competition; showed me just how valuable some solid rest can be.
After all, the Liberty’s domination on the court during the first half of the game was undeniable. Though the Mercury managed to make buckets earlier on in the evening than when competing against Dallas; an obvious trend quickly revealed itself during the first half: the Mercury desperately need Brittney Griner to break into the paint.
Considering Griner still poses a significant offensive threat against a triple team, depending on her for points certainly isn’t the worst idea out there…especially seeing as Griner racked up 29 points by the end of the night. Still, though, relying so intensely on a single-player has its limitations.
For one, while Griner may be a great addition to the Mercury as far as point production goes; she can be a risky addition to the court when it comes to fouls. Drawing two personal fouls within the first 5 minutes of the game, Griner cooled off and manages to draw only one additional personal foul throughout the remainder of the game.
As the game progressed, though, the Mercury managed to limit their personal fouls and clean up their play. While Kia Nurse was relatively quiet throughout the first half; she began carrying the ball into the paint as the game progressed.
With Nurse, Sophie Cunningham and Brianna Turner stepping up during the second half, the fire Skylar Diggins-Smith brought to the court since tipoff began to pay off. Ultimately losing by a mere 2 points; the Mercury of the night’s second half looked much more like the team Mercury fans have come to expect.
The Liberty, however, had no such difficulty in getting going. While Mercury’s play improved as the game progressed, the Liberty took great advantage of the Mercury’s sluggish start. Sami Whitcomb, in the absence of Ionescu and Natasha Howard—the latter of which is out with an MCL sprain—stepped up to the plate.
Using her veteran experience to commandeer the floor; Whitcomb was noticeably at the helm of some of the Liberty’s biggest plays of the night. Stepping away from the evening with 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists; Whitcomb demonstrated that, when given the chance, she can act as not only a role player but a leader, too.
Another undeniable star of the evening was the Liberty’s, Betnijah Laney. Averaging 21 points per game, Laney has been an invaluable asset to New York this season. The question of the hour was: how well would Laney perform without her right-hand (wo)man, Ionescu?
After all, Ionescu is ranked No. 2 in assists within the WNBA, and its certain that a hefty portion of those assists are feeds from Laney. Well, it turns out that Laney can hold her own with or without Ionescu.
Ending the night with 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists; Laney was consistently breaking into the paint, demonstrating a level of grit bound to motivate the rest of her team. In a successful attempt to quiet Laney during the game’s second half, Turner was assigned to guard Laney.
While Turner’s 6’3 frame limited Laney’s point production in the second half; her earlier efforts proved significant enough to secure the W for the Liberty. Another player who benefited from the Liberty’s bench depth Sunday night was Jazmine Jones.
After earning six extra minutes on the hardwood than her season average; Jones was visibly working for her time on the court. It is thanks to Jones’ presence on the court that fans were treated to some impressive ball movement between Jones, Laney, and Whitcomb.
Rookie Michaela Onyenwere and former UCLA player seems to finally be getting more consistent minutes, playing for 20 of Sunday night’s game. While her point production leaves something to be desired; her playmaking skills and confidence as a new WNBA player are certainly developing.
DiDi Richards, it seems, is still working on gathering solid footing on the Liberty roster. Considering her tale of resilience, though; it’s surely only a matter of time before she finds her place within the team.
Had the Mercury opened the evening playing how they did in the second half; the Liberty could have found themselves in hot water. Yet the Liberty had no difficulty taking advantage of the Mercury’s slow start, ultimately securing them a victory…though by margins surely too slight for the comfort of Liberty fans.
Follow me on Twitter @Blasphemma and check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more articles on amazing women and their sport.
