BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — They lastly obtained it executed. After dropping seven consecutive common season video games to the Liberty, the Solar pulled out a 72-64 win on Saturday night time, in entrance of a disenchanted crowd at Barclay’s Heart.
The win was a well-rounded effort that noticed 5 Connecticut gamers attain double-figures on the second night time of a back-to-back: Marina Mabrey (15 factors), DiJonai Carrington (13 factors), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (12 factors, 2 blocks), Brionna Jones (11 factors) and DeWanna Bonner (10 factors).
This late into the season, no singular recreation goes to disclose something drastic about both crew, and Saturday’s outcomes don’t change the truth that New York has been one of the best crew within the league all season (and within the earlier three video games in opposition to Connecticut).
However, there’s a pair issues that we can take away in Connecticut’s large win:
The Solar have hope in a playoff sequence in opposition to the Liberty
Earlier than the sport, Liberty coach Sandy Brondello mentioned it was necessary for her crew to return out with a win so as sweep the season sequence, and maintain the Solar’s confidence low heading into the playoffs.
“It is a potential Finals matchup,” Brondello mentioned. “We’ve gained three of these video games — it’s extra ‘don’t give them any hope.’”
New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello on dealing with the Connecticut Solar tonight:
“It is a potential Finals matchup. We’ve gained three of these video games — it’s extra ‘don’t give them any hope.’” pic.twitter.com/bkDQ76gxTx
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) August 24, 2024
However, with the win, the Solar ensured that wouldn’t be the case.
“We had so much to determine within the locker room,” DeWanna Bonner mentioned postgame. “We had an enormous and issues modified. So for us to return collectively like that and get a win like this, it’s large.”
Notably, the win additionally ensured they’d preserve a slim lead over the Minnesota Lynx for the #2 seed. The Solar enhance to 21-8 on the 12 months; the Lynx are only a half a recreation again at 22-8.
Connecticut’s protection withstands the hardest check within the WNBA
The Solar — proprietor’s of the league’s second-best protection this season — held the Liberty to 18 factors beneath their season common. Two-time MVP Breanna Stewart was held to simply 15 factors, whereas Sabrina Ionescu shot simply 3-13 from the sphere.
“I feel it’s essentially the most constant recreation we performed, significantly on the defensive finish of the ground,” Stephanie White mentioned. “We did a we did a very good job of making an attempt to get them into the pictures that we needed them to take. After we had breakdowns, we rapidly remedied them. We performed with a number of ranges of effort, so once we needed to scramble, we continued to make effort to make hustle performs and contest pictures and end performs. We made large performs offensively once we wanted to and getting getting the manufacturing we obtained from the bench was large for us.”
Olivia Nelson-Ododa was extremely impactful off the bench
The 6’ 5 ahead has performed a restricted function for the Connecticut Solar to this point this season — heading into Saturday’s recreation in opposition to the Liberty, she averaged simply 3.2 factors in 12.1 minutes an evening.
However, Nelson-Ododa was key to maintaining the Solar on this one early on — she scored 8 factors within the first half and completed the sport with 12 factors, 4 rebounds, and a couple of blocks in quarter-hour, battling with Jonquel Jones when Brionna Jones took a seat.
After the sport, she credited her teammates, in addition to the teaching employees for working together with her all through the Olympic break.
“Our beginning 5 does a lot, particularly simply logging in so many minutes,” Nelson-Ododa mentioned. “So I feel the mentality of, not simply myself, however the bench, is simply making an attempt to go in and contribute in any means that we will. Credit score to my teammates for placing me into good positions to simply form of get going a little bit bit tonight.”
Stephanie White praised Nelson-Ododa’s exercise, each defensively and offensively. Tasked with guarding Jonquel Jones for stretches, Nelson-Ododa held her personal, racking up two blocks and using her size to disrupt the previous MVP.
“I feel her exercise degree is healthier on each ends of the ground,” White mentioned. “Liv is a participant who is usually a actually good slasher, cutter — significantly after she units on or off ball screens. I feel she made herself obtainable. She did a very good job of recognizing matchups, and when she was cross matched, making herself obtainable within the submit.”
Marina Mabrey modifications all the pieces for Connecticut
Marina Mabrey scored a team-high 15 factors in 26 minutes off the bench, only a day after exploding for a team-high 24 factors in a win in opposition to the Sky. However, maybe most spectacular was her hustle. Mabrey drew an offensive foul on Jonquel Jones halfway by the fourth quarter that Stephanie White later described as “large.”
She seemingly dove on the bottom and fought for unfastened balls each time she was within the neighborhood, reminding the world there’s a motive why Alyssa Thomas beforehand known as her a dawg.
“She’s only a excessive IQ basketball participant,” Solar head coach Stephanie White mentioned pregame. “She simply she will get it — she strikes effectively with out the basketball. She understands the place the ball must get to, who to get it to. She has actually good instincts in that space.”
Mabrey provides the Solar at the least a partial answer to their offensive struggles.
“She provides us a possibility for for a deeper run together with her potential to not simply shoot the ball, however to make performs. You noticed that in our recreation final night time, not simply making pictures, however making performs, and making performs for her teammates in addition to in addition to for herself. And she or he’s a clutch shot maker. We don’t have that — you’ll see at sure factors of us attending to the bottom of a shot clock or the underside of a shot clock, and we don’t get something out of it. And she or he’s a participant who can try this.”
DeWanna Bonner praised Mabrey’s willingness to return off the bench and thrive in that function.
“Man, she’s a dawg,” Bonner mentioned. “She’s simply somebody that got here into our crew and we didn’t should decelerate. Looks like we haven’t missed a beat.”
With the win, the Solar definitely nonetheless have questions. It was ugly at instances — because it often is in Connecticut. However the victory additionally set forth an encouraging blueprint, outlining what it may take for the Solar to win the championship.
