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Expectations for the New York Liberty entering the 2022 WNBA season were fairly high. They had brought in a championship coach in Sandy Brondello. Sabrina Ionescu was finally healthy. Natasha Howard, Betnijah Laney and Sami Whitcomb had returned for a second year, promising some stability, and Stefanie Dolson had also joined during free agency.
New York has now lost its past four games, two of them by at least 27 points. None were more deflating than Tuesday’s 27-point defeat to the Connecticut Sun, in which the Liberty nearly broke WNBA records for turnovers committed in a game (32; the record is 33) and points allowed off turnovers (44; the record is 45).
So, is it time to worry about the New York Liberty?
They’re the only team in the league in the bottom two in both offensive and defensive efficiency — their net rating (-17.8) is nearly double that of the next worst team’s, the Minnesota Lynx (-9.3) — as well as rebounding percentage (44.3%). Cleaning up the turnovers, establishing offensive flow through more movement, and better decision-making and execution against tough defensive pressure will be critical.
“It’s all of us being better, myself included,” Brondello said, acknowledging that most of New York’s mistakes have been self-inflicted. “It really does start with me.”
The Liberty’s big three — Ionescu, Laney and Howard, all of whom struggled with injuries over the past few seasons — needs to produce more consistently. Can Laney return to her All-Star level of play? Can three-time WNBA champion Howard embrace the stardom that drew her away from the Seattle Storm to New York? Can Ionescu begin to meet the expectations that were placed on her even before she was…
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Source : espn
