NEW YORK — The New York Liberty defeated the Washington Mystics 75-66 on Tuesday night, improving their home record to 17-5. New York is 26-17 on the season and remains locked into the fifth seed of the WNBA's playoff bracket.
It was the first time in months that the Liberty had its full roster unrestricted by injury. The newfound health sets the team up to synergize. Despite being the WNBA's reigning champions, injuries have limited the extent to which this year's roster has been able to play together.
The Liberty outclassed the Mystics in the rebounding battle, snatching up 36 in comparison to Washington's 29. Reporters asked superstar forward Breanna Stewart about the discrepancy, as well as the Mystics only securing two offensive rebounds from their 35 missed field goals, after the game. Stewart asserted that New York places great significance on those margins.
“Our points of emphasis are rebounding,” Stewart shared, “making sure we control the boards.” I didn’t know [the Mystics] only had two offensive boards tonight, so big credit to everyone on the court for getting the job done there. That’s really tough [against] a team that crashes very hard.”
Washington, whose record worsened to 16-28 after the loss, was not a relatively tough test for the Liberty ahead of the postseason. The game, however, was an opportunity for New York to pursue team chemistry and prepare for tougher playoff matchups. Stewart confirmed postgame that the team was “trying some different things offensively” in search of optimal lineups.
The three-time WNBA champion also dished out some Liberty basketball ground rules, particularly for success in the upcoming playoffs. Her message was clear, regardless of what combination of players are sharing the court.
“[We're] putting people in different spots and seeing how that goes,” Stewart reflected, “knowing that…controlling the boards and no live-ball turnovers, that’s a non-negotiable. That needs to happen throughout. We need to be better with the turnovers, especially live-ball.”
New York averages 13.9 turnovers per game, third-most among the eight playoff teams. After starting 9-0, its 14 turnovers per game are tied with the Indiana Fever for first among postseason participants.
The Liberty wants to keep the WNBA Championship Trophy at the Barclays Center. They'll need to start by keeping the basketball in their possession.
