Brittany Boyd. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495Sports
The New York Liberty trailed the Los Angeles Sparks by just two points midway through the second quarter. However, an 18-4 run to end the half gave the Sparks (10-3) a double-digit led they would protect until the final buzzer sounded, 80-54, Sunday evening at the Staples Center.
New York Liberty Head Coach Katie Smith on today’s game. “We just came from Vegas, and you know they have some true fives and four players, so we knew they were going to be cutting a lot, driving a lot, and we wanted to keep our defense in and make them take jump-shots. Make them take contested threes […] but really, biggest thing is, we can’t put the ball in the hole. Got to find a way to score, 54 points isn’t going to cut it.
The game saw a return to the lineup for Shavonte Zellous. who missed the matchup against the Las Vegas Aces on Friday due to illness. Epiphanny Prince, who has been gradually working her way back from a concussion, entered the Liberty starting lineup for the first time this season.
Amanda Zahui B led the Liberty (4-8) with 21 points off the bench, establishing a new career-high. The center has averaged 17.5 points per game over the past two and has drained a pair of threes in both contests.
Zahui B on her performance today. “It sucks that we lost, so you know I’d rather for us to win, but you know obviously it feels good showing my team that they can have confidence in me. The coaches are letting me shoot, letting me do what I’m comfortable with doing, so I just got to improve on that, and do a better job on the defensive side.”
Brittany Boyd had a solid all-around game for New York, notching seven points, six rebounds, and eight assists. Tina Charles scored in double figures for the 12th straight game to start the season, but her 10 points were a new season-low.
The Liberty failed to secure a victory in their two-game West Coast road trip. They will look to turn things around when they host the Phoenix Mercury on Tuesday night. The matchup is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. (ET) at the Westchester County Center.
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