GAME HIGHLIGHTS
- Sunday’s contest was the first matchup between the Liberty and Sky this season settled by more than four points.
- The conference rivals now split the season series, 2-2.
- New York came out of the gate hot, jumping out to a 20-8 lead with 3:35 left to play in the first quarter. Chicago cut the deficit to five before the end of the period. The Liberty held a 5-1 offensive rebound advantage in the first quarter, but the Sky bounced back in the second quarter with a 6-1 advantage of their own.
- Both teams combined for 100 points in the first half, collectively shooting 57.5 percent from the field.
- New York’s 55 first-half points matched their season-high from their second matchup against Chicago this season (6/29).
- Liberty center Tina Charles’ hook shot with 7:58 to play in the third quarter kicked off a 10-0 run for her team. New York went on to outscore Chicago 26-8 in the period.
- The Liberty scored more than 20 points in each quarter, the first time this season they’ve accomplished that feat. The 23-point margin of victory is the Liberty’s largest this season; their previous best was seven against Atlanta (6/19).
SKY NOTES
- Forward Cheyenne Parker started in her fourth game this season and scored nine points.
- Center Stefanie Dolson finished the game with 13 points, five assists and three rebounds. She also shot 100 percent from the free-throw line, making her 17-17 this season.
- Rookie forward Diamond DeShields poured in 14 points, along with adding two assists and a team-high four rebounds.
- Courtney Vandersloot dished out a team-high eight assists to boost her league-leading average to 7.7 percent.
- Linnae Harper led the bench in scoring with 10 points as well as recording two assists.
- Chicago outscored New York in second chance points 16-9.
LIBERTY NOTES
- Tina Charles led New York with 21 points, her 10th game this season with over 20. She shot 69 percent from the field while also chipping in six rebounds.
- Brittany Boyd made her first start of the season in the contest, notching the first double-double of her career with 14 points and 10 assists.
- With Boyd in the opening lineup, Bria Hartley came off the bench after starting the first 20 games of the season for the Liberty. She responded well, with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in 22 minutes.
- With a jumper from well behind the arc midway through the second quarter, Liberty guard Sugar Rodgers moved into fifth in franchise history for made three-pointers. She also finished in double figures, notching 14 points on 75 percent shooting from the field.
- Epiphanny Prince was the sixth Liberty player to surpass the 10-point plateau. She finished with 11, her fourth straight game in double figures.
- New York shot 61.2 percent from the field, a new season-high. The Liberty’s 27 assists were also a season-best, and their 12 steals matched their season-high.
POSTGAME QUOTES
SKY GENERAL MANAGER & HEAD COACH AMBER STOCKS
On composure and letting team play through deficits:
“Sometimes the flow of the game happens that way. Composure for the players on the court, as well as the coach on the sideline is key. Basketball is a game of runs. It’s important to use the time outs to minimize runs when possible, but at the same time I have a lot of trust in our team. Courtney Vandersloot was on the court, I have a lot of trust in her as a point guard. She’s played a lot of basketball and she knows how to be a floor general. The composure from a coaching stand point is easier when you have a high level of trust in your point guard.”
On third-quarter deficit.:
“It’s important to get off to a good start for every quarter, especially the third. This game, the third quarter is often a volatile quarter that can go a lot of different ways. Our inability to come out on our toes was a determining factor in the game.”
On six players in double-figures for Liberty:
“New York shot over 60 percent from the field. When any team shoots such a high percentage you’re going to have a balanced spread in scoring.”
SKY COURTNEY VANDERLSOOT
On deficits throughout the game:
“We can’t just give up in the first quarter. The game is a long 40 minutes and we have been in those situations a lot this season unfortunately, and we have fought back. Which shows a lot about our ability to make runs, but we have to do a better job of outstanding their runs. They came out in that third quarter and made a run that we couldn’t compete with. We have to put 40 minutes together.”
On what she looks to do as a floor general:
“Getting good shots always and executing our offense and defense and making things difficult. It’s hard when we are turning it over and taking bad shots, that’s when they’re in transition and they got a lot in transition. That was a turning point for them in the second half. That has to be something moving forward that we focus more on is not only getting stops, but taking better shots so that teams can’t just go in transition on us.”
SKY GUARD DIAMOND DESHIELDS
On three-game losing streak:
“We can’t lose sight of our ultimate goal as a team and that’s to make the playoffs. We know that we have a lot to work on, so using that as our motivation. Today was an ugly loss for us but like you said we are on a three-game losing streak, so we can’t afford four and then four turns to five-we can’t afford that. So, we need to snap out of it and make something happen.”
On the third quarter:
“A lot of [what the coaches] talked about at half-time was exploiting their defense. Defensively we thought we were going to be able to get more mismatches, which we didn’t do a good job of exploiting and obviously on their offensive end they came down and shot a very high percentage and were getting to the free throw line. So those few things combined put us in a deep hole, that we couldn’t dig ourselves out of.”
LIBERTY HEAD COACH KATIE SMITH
On the win:
“Great team win by our ladies today. Please by a lot of things. It was great to follow up a tough fought win in Connecticut and come back home and really be locked in and ready to play. That consistency really makes me happy.”
On putting Boyd in the starting five:
“She was solid. She ran the team, was solid on defense. [Allie] Quigley and Sloot [Courtney Vandersloot] are two of the best guards in the league, tough matchups. I thought she was disciplined on that end as well as the offensive end. I thought everybody, especially our starting five did a great job today, and those who came in. It gives us a little bit of a different rotation.”
On the team dynamic:
“I thought everyone was contributing and was in an aggressive mode. I thought our defense was solid for the game. They could put a streak together. They were down 22 against DC and put a 16-2 run together so I was pleased that we didn’t let that happen. That was a real positive for us.”
On the message during half time:
“Come out strong and start this quarter out right. The second quarter is really what put us behind and really gave them a little momentum so we talked about that at half time. But again, coming out and starting strong, keeping them off the glass and making them earn stuff.”
On what has changed from past losses:
“I don’t know that much has changed. We shot the ball well today. Over the last eight games, we’re 3-5. I think that our effort has been better during this stretch. I think we have been more aggressive. I think [Shavonte] Zellous has been more aggressive, taking it to the hoop. I think Tina [Charles] has been efficient. [Brittany] Boyd has played well, Bria’s [Hartley] been aggressive. I think it’s a combination of people coming in and doing their job. I think our effort has been different. We have been really locked in and really efficient.”
LIBERTY GUARD SUGAR RODGERS
On moving into ranking fifth in three-pointers made in franchise history:
“It’s a good accomplishment. I still have more to come. I’m just enjoying this second win we have under our belt.”
On what was working for the team during today’s game:
“Everything, from the head coach down to the jerseys. Just defending and sharing the ball, and most importantly just having fun. [Being a unit has] been important from the beginning of the season. Just having each other’s backs and just being there.”
On Liberty hosting first-ever ‘Unity Weekend’:
“It means a lot. [It’s about] everybody coming together no matter the color of your skin or what your religion is and just loving one another.”
LIBERTY CENTER TINA CHARLES
On the game:
“I think that it’s a sense of urgency, knowing every game matters for us. We have to treat every game like a playoff game if we want to get back in the top 8. I think that’s what’s happening right now.”
On Brittany Boyd in the starting lineup:
“Boyd has been in our starting lineup before in this franchise, so what I think is more commendable is Bria Hartley coming off the bench and saying whatever my role is I’m just going to go out there and perform and she definitely did that tonight. That’s something that all of us in this locker room can learn from.”
On Unity Weekend:
“New York Liberty has been in the forefront as far as social justice awareness when it comes to police brutality or African American oppression. They’ve been in the forefront. They know that when we’re playing in the games or the way the season is, you just get so caught up playing basketball versus what’s going on outside of the arena. So, they do a good job bringing us to reality and keeping us humble and making us aware that we have a platform and a voice.”
NEXT UP: Chicago Sky host the Seattle Storm, currently the highest-ranking team in the WNBA, at Wintrust Arena for a daytime game this Wednesday, July 18 at 11 a.m. Tickets are available by calling (866) SKY-WNBA or by visiting sky.wnba.com/tickets.