By Justin “Say Say” Rivers

Fresh off a two-game homestand, Betnijah Laney and the New York Liberty (7-8, 4th in Eastern) hit the road again to head down South and take on the Atlanta Dream (5-8, 5th in Eastern).

Last game, the Liberty hosted a rolling Chicago Sky team that has been thriving since Candace Parker returned from an ankle injury for the second time in three nights. Scoring a team-high 16 points, Michaela Onyenwere led the way for New York. While chipping in six rebounds, the 6-foot rookie also drew the assignment of guarding Parker. Despite having to overcome a four-inch height difference, Onyenwere held her own on the defensive end by holding Parker to a 12-point night – 11 points below her scoring output in Tuesday’s contest. She should be chomping at the bit to go toe-to-toe again with the Atlanta Dream, against whom she torched the Dream’s defense for a career-high 29 points.

Additionally, Betnijah Laney again paced the Liberty’s offense, dropping 14 points on an efficient 7-for-13 shooting. She also pulled down five boards and dished a few dimes. Like Onyenwere, the 6-foot combo guard should be looking forward to taking on her former team again, with whom she won the WNBA’s Most Improved Player award last season.

RUN IT BACK TURBO

When these two teams last played, it was a back-and-forth slugfest that required overtime to dictate a winner. Despite a slow start and Atlanta racing to a 28-17 advantage after one quarter that would extend to a 13-point lead in the second, Onyenwere’s hot hand keyed a New York rally that would see the Liberty tie the game at 43-43 in the second quarter. Adding to the numerous ebbs and flows of the contest, the Liberty rallied again in the final 3:21 of regulation scoring eight straight points to take an 82-80 lead on a Sami Whitcomb free throw.

While New York’s star rookie, Michaela Onyenwere, dazzled with her 29-point career night, Betnijah Laney also stuffed the stat sheet in her first matchup against her former squad. In their prior meeting, Laney not only had another 20-point outing, but also had six rebounds and tied a career-high 11 assists in a double-double performance. Even more impressively, her aggressiveness on the offensive end got her to the charity stripe frequently, where she sank all 12 of her free throw attempts.

NOTABLE ABSENCES

When New York last played Atlanta, the team was without the WNBA’s 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, Natasha Howard, who at the time was sidelined a minimum of four weeks with a left knee sprain. Currently, the 6-foot-2 forward is continuing her way back from injury.

Atlanta will also have to overcome a significant absence, as their leading scorer, Tiffany Hayes, is also sidelined with a knee sprain. Through the first 11 games of the 2021 season, Hayes averaged 17.6 points and 3.3 assists per game.

BOTTOM LINE

Coach Walt Hopkins’s Liberty squad has an opportunity to not only snap a two-game skid, but to potentially reclaim a winning record against the Atlanta Dream in the Peach State over the next four days. New York will look to finish the final slate of games strong before the Olympic break.