NEW YORK, N.Y. – JULY 14, 2015 – The New York Liberty are back at home for the first time in the month of July to face the San Antonio Stars for Camp Day at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, July 15, at 11 a.m.
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ALL-TIME: New York leads 19-17
2015 SEASON: First meeting
LAST MEETING: SAS 80, NYL 66 (July 9, 2014)
The Liberty look to rebound from a tough loss on Sunday which saw New York come back from 19 points down in the 3rd quarter to take the lead at the beginning of the 4th, only to fall to the Atlanta Dream for the first time in their three meetings this season, 84-76.
Before the loss, New York had won three games in a row against Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Liberty is 2-1 against Western Conference teams this season. The only loss came at Tulsa on June 26, 71-62.
The main goal on Wednesday is to not drop two in a row, something they have done just once this season, losing back to back games against eastern conference foes, Washington and Indiana, in mid-June.
Tina Charles, who was just voted a starter at the 2015 WNBA All-Star game, has been on a scoring rampage as of late. She has scored over 20 points in three consecutive games and is averaging, 21.2 points and 9.3 rebounds in the last four games. Charles eclipsed the 3,000 point mark in her career on July 9th and had her fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
New York is also adjusting to life with another former All-Star in the lineup, Epiphanny Prince, who is back from spending the month of June competing in the Eurobasket 2015 Women Tournament. She will play her first game at Madison Square Garden in front of her hometown crowd on Wednesday. Prince started her first game in a Liberty uniform on Sunday and scored 14 points, all in the second half. She is averaging 13 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in her first two games with the Liberty.
San Antonio is looking for just its 4th win of the season on the road at New York. They are also 0-3 against Eastern Conference opponents this season.
LIBERTY RETURN FOR TWO AT THE GARDEN
Coming off a three-game road swing, the New York Liberty have an oasis in the midst of a stretch where seven of nine games come on the road, with back-to-back home contests starting with a Camp Day game against the San Antonio Stars on Wednesday, July 15, at 11 a.m. The Liberty had its three-game winning streak snapped with an 84-76 setback at Atlanta on Sunday afternoon, leaving the squad at 7-5 prior to this critical home stretch that precedes another lengthy road trip. Although it leads the all-time series 19-17, New York has lost six straight to San Antonio dating back to 2011, and will be searching for its first win over the Stars since July 8, 2011. San Antonio has lost two straight during its current road trip, and is coming off a 66-49 loss at Minnesota on Sunday.
CHARLES IN CHARGE
Tina Charles has been leading the way for the Liberty who has won three of its last four games. She has been spectacular, averaging 21.2 ppg and 9.25 rpg over the last four games, including a season-high 26 in a win at Chicago on June 30, and is shooting 49.2 percent from the field during that stretch. Charles now ranks seventh in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 16.2 ppg, and his ffth in rebounding with 8.9 rpg. She has topped 20 points in each off the last three games and is coming of a 22-point performance at Atlanta in which she shot 10-of-15 from the field.
PRINCE RETURNS TO HER KINGDOM
After a long wait, New York guard Epiphanny Prince finally made her New York debut when the Liberty picked up a 79-76 road win at Washington on July 9. Prince, who was acquired in a blockbuster of season trade in exchange for guard Cappie Pondexter, missed the first 10 games of the season to compete in the Eurobasket 2015 Tournament. On July 12 at Atlanta, she made her first start in a New York uniform, and scored 14 points, all in the second half. In her team debut against Washington on July 9, she came of the bench to make an immediate impact, scoring six points in the first quarter en route to a 12-point day in which she shot 5-of-12 from the field and also dished out a pair of assists in 31 minutes. Prince’s offensive ability was missed early in the year, as she entered the season with a career scoring average of 14.1 ppg, but New York went 6-4 in the month of June, ending that stretch just a game out of first in the Eastern Conference. Prince is averaging 13.0 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds in her first two games.
DEPTH CHARGE
Even before Epiphanny Prince returned to the lineup, New York was able to put its depth on display, as the Liberty are averaging 26.5 ppg from its bench, and the team has won the bench scoring battle eight times, including in each of the last four games. For the season the Liberty bench holds a 26.5-18.6 advantage over the opposition.