NEW YORK LIBERTY (7-22) vs. ATLANTA DREAM (20-10)
Sunday, August 12 • White Plains, NY (Westchester County Center)
2:30 PM (ET) • TV: League Pass, MSG+
The New York Liberty lost a nail-biter to the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday night, falling 82-81. In their last home game of the season on Sunday, they will look to capture the season series against the East-leading Atlanta Dream.
QUICK HITS
Tina Charles’ 19.9 points per game rank seventh the league (as of 8/10).
Charles’ 7.1 rebounds per game slot her 10th in the league (as of 8/10).
Charles ranks top-20 in the league in blocks per game (as of 8/10).
Kia Nurse’s ranks top-10 among rookies with 8.7 points per game (as of 8/10).
Nurse is shooting 87.5 percent from the free throw line, tied for fifth in the league (as of 8/10).
Brittany Boyd’s 5.4 assists per contest rank fourth in the WNBA (as of 8/10).
Boyd is tied for seventh in the league in steals per game with 1.4 (as of 8/10).
Bria Hartley ranks top-15 in the league with 3.8 assists per game (as of 8/7).
Boyd is averaging 10.5 assists per game in two matchups against the Dream this season, with an assist to turnover ratio over 5:1.
KEY MATCHUP
The last time the Liberty and Dream met, Renee Montgomery helped propel Atlanta to victory with an impressive performance from behind the arc, draining seven of 13 attempts. On the other hand, the Liberty’s resident sharpshooter, Sugar Rodgers, made three from deep in her last appearance. The rubber match between these two teams could be heavily impacted by these two duking it out from deep.
LAST MEETING
On July 19, 2018, Renee Montgomery scored 24 points, including a Dream-record seven threes, as Atlanta bested New York, 82-68.
Atlanta seized a 10-8 lead with 4:05 to play in the first quarter, and they would not trail the rest of the contest.
Tina Charles led the Liberty with 11 points, while Brittany Boyd finished with eight points and 10 assists.
FACILITATION STATION
A bright spot for the Liberty this season has been their ball movement; their 19.9 assists per game are tied for fourth in the WNBA. They have been passing the ball especially well of late, with over 20 assists in four of their past five matchups. Brittany Boyd has led the charge with 6.8 helpers per game over that span.
AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
Over the last six games, Rebecca Allen has seen her playing time increase to over 12 minutes per game, and the guard has shown that the uptick is well-deserved. Against the Sparks, she scored a season-high 13 points on over 70 percent shooting, while also grabbing four rebounds.
STOKES ON THE GLASS
In the matchup against the Sparks, Kiah Stokes made her fourth start of the season, her first since June 2, and the center did not disappoint. She grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, with six coming on the offensive end. It was her second-highest total of the season, and the most since her last start.
DREAMING OF DEFENSE
In two matchups against Atlanta this season, the New York defense has performed admirably, holding them to just 30.9 percent shooting from the field. The Liberty also set season-highs for blocks (eight on 7/19) and steals (12 on 6/19) against their Eastern Conference foe.