Shara Talia Taylor
The New York Liberty started the season off strong as they defeated the Indiana Fever 90-87 last Friday night in their home-opener in Brooklyn.
The game winning 3-pointer by Sabrina Ionescu in the last few seconds of the game broke a tie at 87 after she sank a foul shot with 21 seconds remaining. It set up her game winning shot and led the team their first win during the 25th Anniversary season of the WNBA.
“When we were tied and walking into the huddle I just was smiling, because it was almost like too good to be true,” Ionescu said after the game. “I was like I’m gonna hit this.” Ionescu, finished the night with 25 total points, 11 assists and 6 rebounds. She dreamed that she would hit the game winning shot.
“She was playing a heck of a game,” said New York Liberty Head Coach Walt Hopkins. “Right now, it’s about putting the best group out there that we can, try to win.”
It was a close match, but the Liberty led the majority of the game. New York was ahead 26-21 at the end of the first quarter, tied with the Fever at 47 at half time, and led 68-64 at the end of the third quarter. The Fever took the lead with less than two minutes left in the 4th quarter. Ionescu tied the game at 87 points with about 21 seconds remaining, before hitting the game winning shot.
“There was so much time,” Ionescu said. “We knew they were going to go on their run. I think it was good for us. We needed to face a little bit of adversity.”
Betnijah Laney led the Liberty with 30 points as she competed against her former team. Laney joined New York as a free agent during the off-season. “I’m going to come out the same way against everybody,” Laney said. “Just trying to stay aggressive and play my best.”
Hopkins recognized her as coachable, a good leader and teammate. “4-of-5 from the 3 (3-point line), 4-of-6 from the free-throw line, five rebounds and two assists and some stellar defense,” he said. “She’s a really, really special edition for us.”
Hopkins also touted other teammates for their contributions during the game. “I thought Didi (Richards) and Reshanda (Gray) both really were tide-changers,” he said. “When they came in, the rebounding changed. The pace of the game changed.”
It was a new start for the New York Liberty. The WNBA announced the Nets minority owner, Joe Tsai, purchased the team from the Madison Square Garden Company in 2019. Last year the team played in Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now in front of limited fans the team debuted new uniforms, a new mascot, and played at a new arena, the Barclays Center.
The team followed up with a 73-65 victory against the Fever last Sunday. They looked to make it 3 in a row when they hosted Minnesota this past Tuesday night before going on the road for their next two games.
Sports Editor Andrew Rosario contributed to the article.
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