New York Liberty Huddle. Photo by: Stacy Podelski/1495Sports
The New York Liberty (7-16) wrapped up a two-game road trip with a loss to the Atlanta Dream on Thursday. They return to the Westchester County Center on Saturday to take on the Washington Mystics (13-10).
QUICK HITS
Tina Charles’ 19.7 points per game rank seventh in the league (as of 7/20).
Charles’ 6.9 rebounds per game slot her 12th in the league (as of 7/20).
Kia Nurse’s ranks top-10 among rookies with 8.7 points per game (as of 7/20).
Brittany Boyd’s 5.1 assists per contest rank fifth in the WNBA (as of 7/20).
Boyd ranks top-10 in the league in steals per game with 1.4 (as of 7/20).
Bria Hartley ranks top-15 in the league with 3.6 assists per game (as of 7/20).
Epiphanny Prince’s 45.0 percent conversion rate from three ranks fifth in the WNBA (as of 7/20).
The Mystics defeated the Liberty on a three-point buzzer-beater earlier this season (6/28).
Kia Vaughn scored a season-high 16 points against the Mystics earlier this season (6/28).
Charles notched one of her five double-doubles this season in the last matchup against the Mystics, finishing with 26 points and 12 boards (7/5).
The Liberty have won their last two regular season home matchups against the Mystics, dating back to the 2017 season.
KEY MATCHUP
The Mystics’ Natasha Cloud notched a double-double the last time these two teams met, finishing with 10 points and 10 assists. As Washington’s premier facilitator, she’ll duke it out against Brittany Boyd, who is fresh off a 10-assist performance of her own against the Dream.
LAST MEETING
On July 5, 2018, Elena Delle Donne paced the Mystics with 21 points as they handled the Liberty in Washington, 86-67.
The Liberty trailed by just two with under two minutes to play in the third, but a 15-5 Mystics run got the lead up to double figures.
Natasha Cloud contributed 10 points and 10 assists for Washington. Tina Charles finished with a double-double as well, leading the Liberty with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
TINA’S PLACE IN LIBERTY LORE
With a jumper midway through the first quarter against the Dream on Wednesday, Tina Charles surpassed former teammate Cappie Pondexter to become the franchise’s second-leading scorer. The veteran has now scored 2,981 points while wearing a Liberty uniform. Her 5,224 total career points rank 16th in WNBA history.
BOYD OH BOYD
Brittany Boyd continues to have a breakout season as an all-around floor general for the Liberty. Against the Dream, the fourth-year pro stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists, her third game this season with at least 5/6/8. She already has three double-digit assist performances in 2018 after having just one such game in her previous three seasons.
BLOCK PARTY
The Liberty rank towards the bottom of the league in blocks with 2.8 per game, but their shot-swatting numbers have been on the rise recently. Over their last four, the Liberty are averaging 4.3 per game, including a season-high eight against the Dream. Kiah Stokes has averaged over a rejection per game over that span, and the center is now two away from becoming the franchise’s leading shot-blocker.
RETURN OF RIS
After missing the previous 10 games due to injury, Marissa Coleman returned to the Liberty lineup against the Dream, albeit on a tight minutes restriction. The versatile wing, who has started 11 games this season, averaged 22.0 minutes per game before her injury.
ALL-STAR FESTIVITIES
The WNBA announced the team rosters for Verizon WNBA All-Star 2018 on Thursday. Tina Charles, who will be appearing in the game for the sixth time in her career, will suit up for Team Parker in the contest. The Liberty have two more games, against Washington and at Minnesota, before the week-long break.
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