NEW YORK LIBERTY (4-6) vs. LAS VEGAS ACES (4-9)
Friday, June 22 • Las Vegas, NV (Mandalay Bay Events Center) • 10:00 PM (ET)
TV: ESPN 2
The New York Liberty secured a much-needed win against the Atlanta Dream controlling the Tuesday meeting from start to finish, 79-72, at the Westchester County Center. They will look to make it two in a row, matching their longest win streak of the season, and avenge an earlier season setback with a visit to the Las Vegas Aces.
QUICK HITS
Tina Charles’ 21.6 points per game rank second in the league (as of 6/20).
Charles’ 7.0 rebounds per game are good for 13th in the league (as of 6/20).
Kia Nurse’s ranks fourth among rookies with 12.2 points per game (as of 6/20).
Bria Hartley is ninth in the league with 4.3 assists per game (as of 6/20).
The Aces allow their opponents to shoot a league-leading 23.5 three-pointers a game. As a team, the Liberty manage to put up 23.3 looks from distance each outing.
Las Vegas head coach, Bill Laimbeer, served in the same position with the Liberty for five seasons before joining the Aces this past offseason. At New York’s helm, he led them to a conference finals appearance in 2015.
A trio of former Liberty players now suit up for Las Vegas; Carolyn Swords, Kelsey Bone, and Lindsay Allen.
KEY MATCHUP
Former backcourt teammates, Liberty’s Bria Hartley and Aces’ Lindsay Allen, are both slotted near the top of the league in assists per game. Hartley ranks ninth with 4.3 helpers a contest, while Allen’s average of 4.0 is good for 12th. Allen, who participated in the Liberty’s 2018 training camp, got the upper hand during their first matchup of the season series, doling out seven assists in a convincing Las Vegas victory.
LAST MEETING
On June 13, 2018, Dearica Hamby scored 17 points and Kayla McBride added 16 to lead the Aces to victory over the Liberty, 78-63.
Charles led the Liberty with 19 points, 17 of which came in the first half. The New York offense as a whole struggled from deep, going 4-for-24 from behind the arc. The loss marked the third setback in a four-game span.
The game tabbed a return to New York for former Liberty head coach Bill Laimbeer.
STIFLING DEFENSE
Atlanta’s 72-point final marked the lowest finish by a New York opponent this season. The Liberty managed to contain the Dream’s shooting to an underwhelming 30 percent while forcing the foe into 19 turnovers. Subsequently, the Liberty’s 12 steals tabbed a new season-high. Liberty big, Kia Vaughn, managed to up her season superlatives collecting four offensive boards, five defensive rebounds and three thefts along the way.
ASSIST MACHINE
Reserve Brittany Boyd had a historic night against the Dream, as she became the first player in WNBA history to record 11 assists in under 20 minutes of play. The performance established a new career-high for the floor general, and she also became the first Liberty player to record 11 assists without a made field goal. She topped Teresa Weatherspoon’s 10-assist performances, one established back in 1997 and repeated in 2000.
A DESERVING ALL-STAR
WNBA All-Star voting opened up on Tuesday night, and Tina Charles should be a virtual lock for her sixth selection. The Liberty forward is averaging 21.6 points and 7.0 rebounds a game, and is coming off a 29-point, eight-rebound performance against the Dream. The Liberty centerpiece is now 12 points shy of becoming the 19th WNBA player to reach 5,000 career points. Read more about the new All-Star Game format here.
LIVE BY THE THREE, DIE BY THE THREE
The Liberty average 23.3 shots from deep per contest, the highest mark in the league. Their ability to hit those shots, however, has varied dramatically from game to game. With six different players spearheading the team’s outside shooting on various occasions, the team has managed to drain 32 percent of their looks or better from three in half of their contests this season. On the other hand, New York has endured 28 percent shooting performances or lower in five clashes this year. Their season-best is 54.2 percent, while their season-low is 15.8 percent, with both performances coming against the Indiana Fever.