Liberty Hands Atlanta Tough Loss in Commissioner Cup Title

The Liberty dashed Atlanta’s hopes for a tournament title, delivering the second loss of the season to the Dream in the Commissioner Cup game on Tuesday.

Earlier in the season, Atlanta had hoped to rebound from a loss against the Sun. They needed this victory to secure a spot in the Eastern Conference for the Cup Championship Game scheduled for July 1st.

However, the Dream squandered a significant 17-point lead in the second half, allowing the Liberty to seize their opportunity.

Next up, Indiana will face the defending Cup champions, the Lynx, in Minnesota for this year’s title.

Despite Tuesday’s setback, Atlanta (8-4) can take pride in their performance this season.

The Dream brought on coach Carl Smesco from Florida Gulf Coast and welcomed new players Britney Greyer and Briona Jones to join Rhine Howard and Alisha Gray.

Historically, the Dream have struggled; they haven’t won a playoff game since 2018 and are yet to secure a title. But this offseason offered fresh promise.

The adjustments helped make the Dream one of the league’s most compelling teams as the season began.

Smesco feels optimistic about his debut season in the WNBA, but he also recognizes that there’s more work to be done.

“We have high expectations. We expect good things,” he expressed. “If you keep the right mindset throughout the season—well, that’s really improving. I believe there’s the potential for a strong playoff contender, but it all depends on how the season unfolds.”

After recovering from a right ankle sprain earlier this month, Jonquel Jones didn’t hold back in her first game back.

She faced a tough challenge against 6-foot-9 Britney Griner, sometimes taking more time to seize her opportunities.

Still, Jones managed to secure her sixth double-double this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds, all coming in the second half.

“I’m grateful to have her,” praised coach Sandy Brondello. “She’s not fully conditioned yet and was caught off guard at times, but her effort has been commendable.”

The Liberty’s 102-88 defeat to Indiana, interestingly, became the third most-watched WNBA game in ABC’s history, according to the network.

This game attracted peak viewership of 2.8 million, three weeks after a notable injury, averaging 2.2 million viewers overall. That marks a 76% increase compared to last year’s average during the ABC regular season.

Brondello, a veteran in the league since 1998, has always believed in the potential of women’s basketball.

However, the rising interest in recent years has been remarkable, even to her.

“The more visibility our game gets, the more people realize they’re watching the best players in the world. They’ll begin to love it,” she noted.