This isn’t the model of the Liberty protection that held each opponent below 88 factors the primary 9 video games of the season. This isn’t the model that managed to beat the lack of defensive anchor Betnijah Laney-Hamilton — out for the season on a suspended contract after March knee surgical procedure — and adapt, both.
On paper, the Liberty nonetheless have the No. 2 defensive score within the WNBA this season (97.3), behind simply the Lynx, however after getting torched by the Mercury 106-91 on Friday, and permitting over 100 factors for the second time in six video games, defensive points have develop into obvious.
The trouble from the reigning champions was blasted — by head coach Sandy Brondello, by offseason acquisition Natasha Cloud — after their newest defensive dud, too.
Although the Liberty might be with out two starters in Leonie Fiebich (EuroBasket with Germany) and Jonquel Jones (proper ankle sprain) once more Sunday after they face Atlanta, they’ve refused to let that develop into an excuse for what transpired in Phoenix and, by extension, the fourth-worst defensive score (107.2) within the league the previous two weeks.
“I don’t care who’s not with us,” Brondello stated postgame. “I don’t care. They’re not gonna save us right here. What we’ve acquired, that is it.”
The Liberty may get Fiebich again for his or her July 3 recreation towards the Sparks, The Submit’s Madeline Kenney reported earlier this week. Germany misplaced to Belgium within the quarterfinals, received a classification recreation towards Turkey and can face Czechia for fifth place on Sunday — when the Liberty full their present highway journey with a recreation towards the Dream.
Jones, nonetheless, suffered the sprain to the identical ankle she injured earlier within the 12 months and can miss not less than one other three to 5 weeks, based mostly on the Liberty’s preliminary projection from final Saturday.
Brondello known as the Liberty “smooth” after the Mercury recreation, the place they allowed 61 factors within the first half and surrendered 18 3-pointers. She stated that they had “no toughness” whereas defending.
They didn’t make Phoenix uncomfortable in any respect, and the Mercury grew to become the seventh Liberty opponent previously eight video games to shoot over 41 p.c from the sphere. The Liberty’s power, relationship again to when Breanna Stewart and Jones arrived to affix Sabrina Ionescu forward of the 2023 marketing campaign, has been their offense. A capability to strategy 100 factors repeatedly. A surplus of choices to hold the scoring every recreation.
However in addition they flashed sturdy defensive potential, too, and completed with the No. 3 defensive score every of the previous two seasons. Stewart earned a spot on First-Staff All-Protection in each seasons. Laney-Hamilton constantly shut down stars, together with the Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Fiebich, after carving out a constant function late final season, helped with wing protection.
However the Liberty’s unit will proceed to look completely different till Jones and Fiebich return. They received’t get Laney-Hamilton again in any respect this season.
Although they tried to mount a comeback early within the third quarter Friday, whereas they produced some stops and began to claw again into the sport, they will’t simply try this in spurts, Cloud stated. If they will go on these defensive runs, she stated, that solely means “we may give it for the totality of the sport.”
By means of their opening 15 video games, the Liberty have, as soon as once more, demonstrated a capability to function as one of many league’s elite offenses. They entered Saturday with the perfect offensive score (108.5) within the WNBA, set the document for 3-pointers in a recreation with 19 after which tied their very own mark simply video games later.
However that may not matter within the marathon of a season — and no matter follows within the playoffs — with out the protection to enrich it.
“We are saying typically we have now a number of weapons on the offensive finish all all through our roster,” Cloud stated, “but when we don’t get stops, that offense doesn’t imply something.”
