TULSA, OKLA. – JUNE 25, 2015 – The Liberty are back on the road Friday night as the team travels to Tulsa, Okla, to take on arguably the hottest team in the league in the Shock. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. (ET) and the game will be available via WNBA LiveAccess.
WATCH: WNBA LiveAccess
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ALL-TIME: Tulsa leads, 27-24
2015 SEASON: First meeting
LAST MEETING: July 1, 2014 (at New York) – New York 90, Tulsa 74
After falling at Minnesota in its season open, the Shock have won six-straight, including a 86-78 win over the Lynx last Sunday at the BOK Center, where Tulsa has yet to lose in 2015 with a 3-0 record.
Led by the dangerous guard combo of Odyssey Sims (17.3 ppg) and Skylar Diggins (17.1 ppg), Tulsa ranks second in the WNBA, averaging 82.4 ppg, while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and nearly 40.0 percent (.392) from 3-point range.
The Liberty meanwhile have already turned in a number of impressive defensive performances, holding Phoenix and Atlanta under 30.0 percent shooting, the latter of which came on the road last Sunday afternoon, the lowest opponent shooting percentage against the Liberty in a road game since 2007.
Center Tina Charles is closing in on 3,000-career points (2,933) and with 13 points and 12 boards at Atlanta on Sunday recorded her third double-double of the season and the 100th of her career, which ranks second all-time, trailing just Lisa Leslie (157). Her 14.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists lead the Liberty.
BOYD LEADS THE WAY
Rookie point guard Brittany Boyd came off the bench to lead the Liberty with 18 points in its win at Atlanta on June 21. That is significant because Boyd is the first rookie to lead New York in scoring since Kelsey Bone in 2013, and the first Liberty rookie to lead both teams offensively in a win since Becky Hammon in a 72-55 victory over Cleveland on Aug. 19, 1999.
ALL-STAR VOTING UNDERWAY
Voting for the 2015 WNBA All-Star Game is underway and now fans have the ability to vote for any WNBA player for a chance to send them to the All-Star Game at Mohegan Sun Arena on July 25. There are four ways to vote and fans can pick up to 10 players each day with each method. Tag a player on Facebook or Twitter using the #wnbaballot hashtag, or vote on each individual player page on WNBA.com or the WNBA mobile app. Voting runs through July 9, and the starters will be announced on July 14.
A SPOON FULL OF SUGAR
Sugar Rodgers started the first game of her three-year WNBA career on June 21 at Atlanta, and did it with a bang, scoring 17 points, including two 3-pointers, while shooting 4-for-8 from the field. This was her third-consecutive game in double figures and by far her best of the season; she is averaging 12.6 ppg during that stretch. Rodgers has been a spark of energy for the Liberty thus far, and is also one of New York’s best on-ball defenders. Rodgers’ is averaging a steal per game, which ranks 31st in the league.
CARRY ON CAROLYN
Carolyn Swords has quietly made integral contributions for the Liberty off the bench this season. On Sunday, she scored a season high 12 points for the second time, leading all scorers with 10 in the first half. She also played a season high 27 minutes at Atlanta, 10 more than her highest minute total prior. She has scored in double figures 3 out of the Liberty’s 7 games, and ranks third in the WNBA with a .605 field goal percentage. Swords’ presence is also being felt on the defensive end, she swatted a career-best five shots at Atlanta, and ranks ninth in the league, averaging1.4 blocks per game.