Off to a franchise best 6-0 start, the New York Liberty host the 1-5 Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon in the first game of the Commissioner’s Cup for both squads.
The Liberty reached the finals of the in-season tournament last season, losing to the Minnesota Lynx, but then beat the Lynx 3-2 in the 2024 WNBA Finals.
New York is one of two undefeated teams (the Lynx are the other) remaining, leading the league in scoring (90.5 points a game) and points allowed (74.5).
Breanna Stewart leads the Liberty with 19.0 points a game, tied for eighth in the league. Jonquel Jones is second in the WNBA with 11.4 rebounds a game.
New York downed Washington 85-63 on Friday, holding the Mystics to 28 percent shooting in the second half. Jones posted the 26th double-double of her Liberty career, with New York improving to 26-0 in those contests.
“You see the impact she has. JJ, with the 18 boards tonight. She’s another stretch player … and her ability to get inside and finish plays, to set great screens and get her teammates open … she’s such a key part,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. “I told the players, let’s embrace the opportunity we have. We’re playing on a back-to-back. We’ve got some of the best players in the world, and they’ve got a commitment to excellence.”
Sun coach Rachid Meziane earned his first career WNBA win Friday as the Sun held off the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever, 85-83. Meziane received the game ball and a water bottle shower in the locker room.
It has been tough sledding for the Sun this season, with talk of the franchise being sold or relocated and much of last year’s playoff team discarded or traded.
Veteran Tina Charles leads the Sun with 17.2 points a game with Marina Mabrey adding 16.2.
“I think we have a team that doesn’t have a lot of experience, we just came together with a new coach and there’s going to be some growing pains that will be hard to work through,” Mabrey said after scoring a season-high 26 against the Fever. “I think right now, we need to continue to build off of this and figure out what are the things that work for us and do them every night.”
With the win Friday, the Sun became just the second WNBA franchise with 500 wins (Los Angeles Sparks). The franchise has 440 wins in Connecticut and 60 as the Orlando Miracle.
New York won three of four meetings last season with the Sun.
–Field Level Media
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