WNBA: Indiana Fever at Atlanta Dream Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Do you remember when we said that the Liberty would defeat the Indiana Fever, even though we all knew Caitlin Clark would return? Boy was I wrong. Clark not only returned, but she made her presence felt as she dominated with a 32 point performance a couple of days ago that handed the Liberty their first loss of the WNBA season.
Tonight, the Liberty will be having another test as they will be taking on the Atlanta Dream, a top three team in the WNBA. Liberty fans will see if their team can bounce back from their first loss of the season, as well as if they can contend with a team that is right up there with them in the standings. Atlanta put themselves in the driver’s seat for the Commissioner’s Cup after a dominant road win against the Washington Mystics on Sunday afternoon.
Where to follow the game
My9 on TV. Liberty Live and FOX Local for streaming. League Pass for the out of towners. Tip after 7 PM.
Injuries
Jonquel Jones missed the last two games with an ankle injury. She’s back tonight. Leonie Fiebich will be away for a few weeks as she joined Germany for Eurobasket.
All clear for the Dream.
The game
We’ve got some friendly faces in new places! This winter, the Dream shook up their frontcourt by bringing in Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner. Those two pickups along with the hiring of new head coach Karl Smesko has Atlanta thinking big in 2025. A win tonight would secure Atlanta’s spot in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game against the Western Conference representative. A Cup appearance would be a great step forward for a Dream franchise that has gone six years between playoff victories.
Having JJ back will help New York on the glass against Griner and Jones. The Dream are third best in rebounding this season while the Liberty are third worst. It’s the only blemish on what’s been an otherwise sparkling start to this season.
I don’t quite know what to do with Rhyne Howard, if that makes sense. She has so much talent and the former number one draft pick has represented the Dream with pride on and off the court. She’s been an All-Star and Olympian and is someone the Dream will count on going forward. But when you look at the numbers, it feels as if it doesn’t match up with what we thought. For example, she’s shooting a career high 10.7 three pointers a game, but making a career low 30.5 percent of them. But on the other side, she’s at career highs in terms of rebounding and passing. Maybe I’m being a bit unfair considering she’s playing with a knee brace on her right leg right now. It’ll be worth keeping an eye on going forward, that’s for sure.
Player to watch: Allisha Gray
It’s always fun to watch a player take a huge step forward. In Smesko’s new system, Gray has found a new level and is setting career highs across the board. Over at No Cap Space, Andrew Giuntini-Haubner wrote about Lish’s mesmerizing start:
“Gray is someone that mainstream press and those just entering the game may not be familiar with. But make no mistake, this is a remarkable story. The 30 year old guard who has mostly been a good-to-great player on underachieving teams finally gets paired with a coach that knows how to maximize her abilities. A former NCAA champion and USA Basketball 3x3 Gold Medalist now getting the opportunity to really cook in a market that means so much culturally to the WNBA. If I’m Atlanta, I’m pushing all my marketing chips in on Gray right now to get her known to the general populace. James Worthy got famous for the goggles so why can’t we make Allisha Gray famous for the glasses?”
Gray has fit perfectly into Smesko’s vision of getting up the most quality three pointers imaginable. Lish is shooting a career best 41.8 percent from three point range on a career high six attempts a night. She has the perfect blend of threes and rim attempts while also being someone who can make things happen in the midrange. She’s in line for a well deserved All Star appearance and could get even more accolades before this season ends.
Sabrina Ionescu will look to follow up her season high on Saturday. Sab had 34 points as she got her buckets in a variety of ways throughout the afternoon. Something she’s been working to get better at is getting to the paint and finishing in traffic
When she’s able to use the entire court, she takes the team up a few notches and becomes even more difficult to guard.
From the Vault
Ones in the air for Sly Stone
And Brian Wilson
More reading: Peachtree Hoops, Swish Appeal, Breakaway, SB Nation, Women’s Basketball Roundup, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, No Cap Space, New York Post, The Athletic, NY Liberty Fan TV, Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next