VIDEO: New York Liberty Head Coach Walt Hopkins along with stars Paris Kea and Kia Nurse share their thoughts from the team’s 85-75 loss to the Indiana Fever in WNBA action on 9/10.
On Thursday, the New York Liberty (2-18) took on the Indiana Fever (6-15) and lost, 85-75.
New York was without starting guard and Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award nominee, Layshia Clarendon, who did not play tonight due to a back injury.
The Liberty shot 39.5% (30-76) from the field and 23.1% (6-26) from beyond the arc. For the first time this season, the team also shot perfectly from the charity stripe, going 9-9 on the night.
New York scored 19 points off turnovers, 11 second-chance points and 11 fast break points. Indiana was held to 14 points off turnovers, 8 second-chance points and 2 fast break points.
All active Liberty players scored at least one field goal tonight.
Key Runs:
Both teams traded baskets for the majority of the opening frame. With no significant runs and 4:18 remaining in the first quarter, New York led Indiana 15-14. The Liberty outscored the Fever 24-20 in a quarter that saw 8 lead changes and 4 ties. The 24 first quarter points is a Liberty season-high.
Indiana opened the second quarter on an 13-4 run to take a 7-point lead with less than 6 minutes remaining in the first half. The Fever extended its second quarter run to 21-10 with 2:55 remaining in the first half.
Despite finishing on a 6-0 run in the last 1:32 thanks to back-to-back triples, New York went into the locker room down 42-46, after the Fever outscored the team 26-18 in the second quarter.
New York came out of the locker room on a 10-4 run to regain the lead for the first time in the second half. Indiana fought back, however, the Liberty outscored the team 20-16 in the third and went into the fourth tied at 62.
Tied at 62 apiece to begin the final frame, Indiana surged ahead with a 5-0 run with 7:02 remaining in the contest. New York’s first points in the fourth came at the 6:16 mark, thanks to two made free throws by Kia Nurse. Indiana extended their run to 10-4 with 3:11 remaining; all 4 of the Liberty’s points in that stretch came from the free throw line.
The Fever finished the fourth quarter with a 23-13 advantage to solidify their 6th victory of the 2020 season.
Up Next: The New York Liberty will take on the Washington Mystics on Saturday, September 12, at 12:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV and Fox Sports GO.
PLAYER NOTABLES
Paris Kea reentered the starting lineup tonight against her former team and led Liberty scoring with a career-high 21 points on 44.4% (8-18) from the field and 42.9% (3-7) from beyond the arc.
Kia Nurse entered tonight’s contest sitting at 986 total career points. Her 18-point performance helped her surpass the 1,000-point mark, making her the 221st player in league history to reach the milestone. Nurse reached 14 points at the 6:44 mark in the third quarter when she connected on a three-pointer.
Jazmine Jones finished with a near double-double of 9 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. The WNBA All-Rookie Team candidate also added 4 assists and 4 steals. Jones is just the 2nd player in WNBA history to record 10 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals off the bench, and is the 9th first-year player do so. If you are reading this and you have a vote, vote for Jaz!
Jocelyn Willoughby also neared a double-double, adding 8 points on 50.0% (4-8) shooting from the field and 8 rebounds.
Veteran Candice Dupree led all scorers with 22 points, 7 assists and 6 boards across 35:13 minutes. Dupree’s performance makes her the first Liberty opponent to lead their team across all three categories in a game this year.
Kelsey Mitchell finished with 18-4-4 for the Fever, while second-year center Teaira McCowan added 14 points and 5 rebounds, shooting nearly perfect (6-7) from the field.
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