NEW YORK LIBERTY (7-20) vs. SEATTLE STORM (21-7)
Monday, August 6 • New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
11:00 AM (ET) • TV: League Pass, MSG+
The New York Liberty led for a majority of their matchup against the Indiana Fever, but faltered down the stretch, losing 68-55 at home. Next up, they host the WNBA-leading Seattle Storm.
QUICK HITS
Tina Charles’ 19.6 points per game rank seventh the league (as of 8/5).
Charles’ 7.2 rebounds per game slot her 11th in the league (as of 8/3).
Kia Nurse’s ranks top-10 among rookies with 8.3 points per game (as of 8/5).
Nurse is shooting 86.7 percent from the free throw line, good for seventh in the league (as of 8/5).
Brittany Boyd’s 5.3 assists per contest are rank fifth in the WNBA (as of 8/5).
Boyd ranks top-10 in the league in steals per game with 1.4 (as of 8/5).
Bria Hartley ranks top-12 in the league with 3.7 assists per game (as of 8/5).
Storm center Mercedes Russell was drafted by the Liberty in the second round of 2018 WNBA draft, and appeared in two games for New York this season.
The matchup will be the Liberty’s second game at Madison Square Garden this season.
KEY MATCHUP
The season’s first matchup between these two teams saw a key head-to-head matchup between guards Bria Hartley and Jewell Loyd. Hartley led the Liberty with 16 points, draining three of her five looks from deep, while Loyd dropped 21 for the Storm, hitting a pair of threes herself.
LAST MEETING
On July 3, 2018, Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd scored 21 points each to lead the Storm to a 77-62 victory over Liberty.
The Liberty led by three at the end of the first quarter, but the Storm outscored them 23-9 in the second quarter and didn’t look back.
Bria Hartley led New York with 16 points. Amana Zahui B and Kia Vaughn joined her in double figures, with 13 and 10, respectively.
SEEING DOUBLE
Tina Charles finished Saturday’s contest against Indiana with 11 points and 10 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season. Throughout her illustrious career, the veteran has now tallied 148 double-doubles, a feat that has featured three 20/20 performances.
BEST AGAINST THE WEST
Amanda Zahui B has a solid performance in the first matchup between the Liberty and Storm, notching 13 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the field. The center has played particularly well against Western Conference foes this season— against them, she’s averaging 9.1 points per game, compared to 5.7 points a contest against Eastern Conference opponents.
POSTSEASON BREAK
After reaching the postseason in each of the past three seasons, the Liberty are now officially eliminated from 2018 playoff contention. It will be just the sixth time in the franchise’s storied history it will miss out on playoff basketball.