Brittany Boyd’s 2016 season was full of flashy plays on both ends of the floor. One of the quickest players in the league, her ability to set up teammates and come away with key turnovers set the foundation for what promises to be an exciting future.
After suffering a wrist injury late in her rookie season and not playing internationally during her first offseason, Boyd returned ready to make a leap in 2016. While her scoring numbers may not have reflected that jump, her ability to impact the game in so many other ways did, especially once she found her stride midway through the season.
Starting with the Liberty’s record-breaking 88-81 win at Washington on July 20, which saw the second unit combine to score a WNBA record 69 points for non-starters, Boyd’s stats and league rankings continued to climb and climb. She had 17 points and 7 assists in that game, but it was only the beginning. By the time the regular season ended, she had vaulted all the way up to 4th in the league with 1.6 steals per game, and 15th with 3.6 assists per game.
Starting against Atlanta on July 13, Boyd had at least three assists in 8 of the final 13 regular season games, proving to be one of the most opportunistic defenders in the league. Her 51 steals this season were the most for any Liberty player since 2010.
Over the final seven games of the year, she averaged an incredible 6.9 assists per game, which included a career-high 10 at Dallas on Sept. 11, and she recorded at least 6 assists in each of those contests.
It will be exciting to see what Boyd has in store during her third year, after entering the offseason with a clean bill of health. She electrified the Garden crowds all season with crisp passes, explosive fast breaks, and seemingly impossible finishes in the paint time and time again. Liberty fans are hoping she is just getting started, and the way the 2016 season ended will carry over to the start of the 2017 campaign.
KEY PERFORMANCES
July 20 @ Washington
Helping pace a big day for the second unit, Boyd had 17 points with a pair of 3-pointers, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals
Sept. 3 vs. Phoenix
Scored a career-high 19 points while shooting 7-of-8 from the field with 6 assists and 2 steals
Sept. 11 at Dallas
The Liberty came up just short of a win, but Boyd had a career-high 10 assists with 3 steals for New York
I’LL TAKE THAT
Brittany Boyd became known as an opportunistic defender even as a rookie when she led all first year players in steals, but during her second WNBA season she reached new heights. Coming away with three steals in 4-straight games and 7-of-11 overall, Boyd vaulted all the way up to 4th in the WNBA, averaging 1.6 steals per game. Her 51 steals this season were the most for New York since Leilani Mitchell had 55 in 2010.
BRITTANY BOYD HEATING UP AT THE POINT
Going back to before the Olympic break, second-year point guard Brittany Boyd enjoyed a tremendous hot streak for the Liberty, which included a season-high 19 points in the win over Phoenix on Sept. 3 and 10 assists at Dallas on Sept. 11. Over the last 10 games of the regular season, Boyd’s stats were significantly more efficient compared to her season averages, as during that stretch she ranked third for the Liberty averaging 9.2 points per game, with four games in double figures. She also saw sizable increases in her assists (6.3 apg) and steals (2.2 spg) over that stretch, as she moved up to finish 4th in the WNBA in steals per game with 1.6 and 15th in assists with 3.6 per game.