SEATTLE, WASH. – JULY 20, 2015 – The New York Liberty’s trek through the Western Conference continues on Tuesday, July 21, when it will face the Seattle Storm at Key Arena at 10 p.m. (ET). The game will be available via ESPN3.
WATCH: ESPN3
RADIO: None
NEW YORK GAME NOTES: CLICK HERE
ALL-TIME: Tied, 13-13
2015 SEASON: First meeting
LAST MEETING: NYL 84, SEA 80 (July 24, 2014)
The Liberty are coming off another big win, erasing an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to topple the streaking Phoenix Mercury 75-73 on Saturday evening at US Airways Center. It was the first time this year NY came back to win after trailing when heading into the fourth quarter, and the Liberty closed the game on a 13-4 run.
The result meant a season sweep of the defending WNBA Champions, the first for New York since 2012, which was also the last time it won at Phoenix. At 10-5, the Liberty is off to its best start since 2001 and is four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season.
Now, the Liberty has won three in a row and 6-of-7 as it faces a Seattle Storm team that may be just 5-12 overall, but has won consecutive games for the first time this year, and is coming off a comfortable 86-73 win over the Atlanta Dream on Saturday at Key Arena.
Plenty of things to look out for from New York, which has seen its offense center around All-Star starter Tina Charles, who was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first time this year on Monday. Charles recorded yet another double-double in the win at Phoenix, her seventh of the season, and is averaging 18.0 ppg and 10.7 rpg during the Liberty’s current three-game winning streak.
Starting guard Tanisha Wright makes her return to Seattle, where she spent the first 10 seasons of her WNBA career before joining New York during the offseason. Wright has started every game for the Liberty and thrived while also establishing herself as a locker room leader, ranking ninth in the league averaging 3.5 assists per game while scoring in double figures seven times.
For Seattle, Tuesday night’s key will be solving New York’s defensive pressure, which is statistically the best in the league. The Storm average a WNBA low 69.2 ppg, while the Liberty continue to lead the league in defensive field goal percentage at just 37.1 percent. Sue Bird averages 10.1 ppg to lead Seattle, but rookie guard Jewell Lloyd has been coming on strong as of late. Over the last five games she is averaging a team-best 12.2 ppg while shooting 40.4 percent.
Overall, New York has taken four straight in the all-time series with Seattle, sweeping the Storm in each of the last two seasons.