NY Liberty vs. Phoenix Mercury preview: Back home for a homestand

Not a good time, at least for some people. On Saturday afternoon, the New York Liberty were in the Target Center to take on the Minnesota Lynx. They initially battled back from a 21 point deficit, but they couldn’t build on that and wound up losing convincingly in front of a national TV audience.

The opponent tonight is looking pretty different than what we’re used to. The Phoenix Mercury overhauled the front office and have some familiar faces in a new place. They were in Uncasville last night to play the Connecticut Sun, and let’s just say it didn’t go well for Phoenix.

Where to follow the game

CBS Sports Network is the place to be. Tip after 7 PM.

Injuries

Nothing doing for the Libs.

Britney Griner is out with a foot injury. Rebecca Allen left Saturday’s game with a head injury. She is in concussion protocol and not with the team. Sug Sutton missed last night’s game with an ankle injury. Chances are she misses this one as well.

The game

There are bad nights at the office, and then there are days you just wanna forget and never mention again...

Eek!

For the Mercury, they’ve played a much more open game and have fully embraced the three pointer. Going into last night’s game, they were first in threes attempted and second in efficiency. However, when you have the worst three point shooting game this side of the Game 7 2018 Houston Rockets, you’re gonna fall down the rankings.

There was a ton of miscommunication on Saturday afternoon, and the Lynx made them pay for it. At practice on Monday, Jonquel Jones spoke to NetsDaily’s Lucas Kaplan about it and said:

At Liberty practice on Tuesday, communication was the name of the game as they worked to improve their pick and roll defense and their switching schemes. Against a Mercury team that aims to take as many threes as possible, the Liberty defense has to be connected and moving as one cohesive unit. If not, they’re going to be in for a long evening.

The last time we saw Natasha Cloud, she put the fear of God in the hearts of New Yorkers as the Liberty and Mystics engaged in playoff hand-to-hand combat. Cloud’s on a new team and still making things happen. She’s tied for first in the W in assists with 7.8 a night. She’s very effective at getting downhill, which is incredibly valuable for her right now as her three point shot hasn’t made the move from DC as of yet. Her defense is still her calling card, and she’ll likely get the assignment of chasing Sabrina Ionescu around the court. Sab’s three point shot hasn’t made it to 2024 yet, but she’s made up for it by driving to the basket and converting inside the painted area. Ionescu is shooting an astounding 78 percent inside the restricted area, a 24 percentage points increase from last year. Phoenix is undersized without Griner protecting the rim, so look for the Liberty to make it a point to get rim attempts early and often.

Speaking of size, look for Jonquel Jones to be a key part of the Liberty’s plans early. JJ has been saddled by early foul trouble in the past two games, and it’s limited her effectiveness. If she can avoid those early fouls, it will allow her the opportunity to deter those Mercury drives to the rim on defense. On the other side, Phoenix is short at center and on the second leg of a back-to-back, they will have to try a variety of things to slow down Jones.

Player to watch: Kahleah Copper

Get ready to run. The prized acquisition of the new Mercury regime, Copper has been off to an incredible start in the Valley. The 2021 WNBA Finals MVP is third in the W in scoring at 25.5 points per game on 47/423/85 shooting splits. As she’s gained more experience, she’s gotten more comfortable from deep and her attempts have exploded to a career best 7.5 three pointers per game this year. Even with the increase from deep, her driving remains the best part of her game. Copper is arguably the fastest, most dynamic player in the WNBA as she moves a thousand miles an hour and can finish in traffic.

Copper will be matched up against her fellow Rutgers alum, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. At practice yesterday, she mentioned she’s still trying to find her comfort within the flow of the offense. Teams have decided to go under when she runs pick and rolls, and she’s kept defenses honest by taking the jumpers that are made available to her. In a game like this, her leadership and communication skills will be essential against a player like Copper. Laney-Hamilton is the captain of the defense and she is always making sure each player is exactly where they need to be. And for a Liberty team in a bit of a rut, Bee’s energy will go a long way in getting the team back on track.

From the Vault

On Monday, basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton passed away at the age of 71. His peak was short, but he still managed to be one of the all time best players in NCAA and NBA history. A few years back, Ben Taylor of Thinking Basketball took a look at Walton’s peak, so let’s sit back and check it out

Our friends at Blazers Edge wrote a wonderful tribute to the big guy. The NBA History account has a beautiful tribute as well

And Bill was also one of the best and funniest color commentators of all time. We could be here for days pulling up some of his best moments, so let’s grab one before we hit the road

More reading: Arizona Sports, Go PHNX, Swish Appeal, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next

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