At this point, it’s almost impossible to slow down Liberty.
They started the WNBA season 4-0, outscoring their opponents by a total of 63 points in the process.
Their offense is firing on all cylinders, with four players averaging over 14 points per game.
And their already elite defense has become even more cohesive this year, playing better together and making remarkable strides.
But the Sky, one of the most athletic teams in the league and active in many areas where the Liberty is dominant, dealt the Liberty their first headache Thursday night at Barclays Center. may give the seeds of
Chicago was averaging 12.0 steals per game as of Wednesday, second-most in the league.
The Sky are also averaging 8.0 blocks per game and 39.5 rebounds per game, both of which are second-most in the league.
Their 17.5 offensive rebounds per game are the most in the league.
“[Making sure we’re] We play at our own pace and tempo,” forward Brianna Stewart said after practice Wednesday when asked about dealing with the Sky’s athleticism. “Rebounding and being able to run. They’re a team that crashes the boards well, gets steals, and explodes with action. Just swinging the ball left and right and being able to take the shots we want.”
The sky is high, long and physical.
Center Elizabeth Williams is one of the league’s best defenders, averaging 3.0 blocks and 3.0 steals per game.
Forward Brianna Turner is averaging 2.0 blocks per game and the Sky guards are stalking opponents on the perimeter. Marina Mabry and Diamond DeShields are averaging 3.5 and 2.5 steals per game, respectively.
Then there’s forward Angel Reese, who the Sky selected with the seventh pick in last month’s WNBA draft.
She was a key presence inside at LSU, helping the Sky average 54.3 points per game in the paint, the most in the league.
It will be a good test for Liberty forward Jonquel Jones, who will be the tallest player on the court.
Liberty has been intentional about making sure her looks are inside, and she averages 1.8 blocks per game at defensive end.
“I want to run, I want to make 3-pointers, but I also want to control my scoring in the paint and have a good touch in the paint,” Stewart said. “She can do it all. She has the ability to play inside-out. And I think for all five of us, it’s just a matter of reading and reacting. The combination of having that respect for each other as teammates and being selfless makes it fun to go out on the court because you know you have good options in every situation and you’re always going to have a good chance.”
Thursday’s game will also test guard Sabrina Ionescu’s ability to get past defenders, especially when cutting to the rim, which was a major focus for her last offseason.
Ionescu is constantly trying to change her speed to beat opponents off the dribble and make big shots in the paint, in hopes that it will make her more versatile than a natural 3-point shooter. There is.
Some of the best and most destructive defenders in the league await her.
“Obviously I’ve been able to continue to use my deceleration to my advantage in terms of being harder to predict,” Ionescu said Wednesday. “Obviously the Giants love to block shots, so I think being able to get in the paint, use my body, use my strength, use my height to get up and around, speed up, slow down, time it, make the block a little bit harder, be able to get to the free throw line, I think that’s all part of the technique of being able to finish inside the key.”
Beyond their physicality and athleticism, the Sky score in a similar way to Liberty.
The Sky often turn defense into offense, scoring 27.8 points per game off turnovers, third-most in the league.
Meanwhile, the Liberty is scoring 19.3 points off turnovers per game, the sixth-most.
The transitions for both teams are even more similar.
The Sky are averaging 17.3 fast break points per game, the third-most in the league.
The Liberty is scoring 15.9 fastbreak points per game, fifth-most in the league.
“We have a great transition attack,” Ionescu said. “I think that’s a blessing and a curse at the same time, because when you can’t go in transition, what can you rely on? Something we’re working on very seriously right now is making sure we score in the half court. I think we’ve made a lot of progress in that area. But being able to play at lightning speed tires the other team out for 40 minutes.”
