For the second straight game, the Liberty was without two-time MVP Breanna Stewart.
Once again, the team was led by backup forward Kennedy Burke in an 82-74 victory over the Connecticut Sun.
The 27-year-old Burke recorded nine points and four steals in just 24 minutes.
Burke, making his second start of the season, stepped up in key moments.
After the Sun tied the score at 61-61, Burke caught a missed pass and carried it all the way to the basket to give Liberty a two-point lead.
Then early in the fourth quarter, Burke blocked another miss and targeted a free Sabrina Ionescu for a three.
“I just play with my head up,” Burke said of his style of play. “Every time I get the ball, I want to make sure my teammates are ready.”
The highlight moment came when the fifth-year veteran hit a layup with 8:48 left to give New York a five-point lead.
“She has the skill set of a guard,” coach Sandy Brondello said after the game, “and she’s getting better and better. KB is a great predictor. She’s a good player who keeps her head in the transition phase.”
Not many players can replace a player who is averaging 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, but Burke has been a positive contributor while Stewart is still resting.
On Saturday at Chicago, Burke recorded seven points and three steals in 31 minutes of play, helping the Liberty win 81-67.
“I think she’s getting more and more comfortable with what we’re doing here,” Coach Brondello said, “and her play has been really big for us, especially the last two games.”
Burke’s play was especially important considering Ionescu effortlessly scored 30 points while the other Liberal players barely found a rhythm.
All-Star Jonquel Jones was held to just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting, and only one player besides Courtney VanderSloot scored in double figures.
Burke may not be a household name, but her play is still highly praised by her teammates.
“KB is very talented,” Jones said. “The save she made in the fourth quarter was great and very important, so she’s got to keep doing that.”
The Liberty enter the nearly month-long All-Star break with a league-leading 21-4 record and expect to once again deploy Stewart alongside Ionescu and Jones when play resumes on Aug. 15.
But even if his role is reduced, Burke could be a key reserve player as the team pursues its first title.
“She brought the energy that we were missing,” guard Ivana Dojkic said. “I thought she did a great job in the most important part of the game. I’m really proud of her.”
