The Liberty’s dominant 100-52 win Sunday was a total team effort, and it allowed New York to show off its dangerous depth.
The Liberty’s bench got extended playing time in the lopsided game.
With that, New York’s reserves managed to outscore the Sun’s starters 35-31.
Isabelle Harrison played her best game in a Liberty uniform, recording nine points, six rebounds and three steals in close to 17 minutes.
Marine Johannès added eight points and six assists.
“Our bench did a great job of coming in today,” Natasha Cloud said. “When you’re talking about what is going to make us such a scary and deep team going down into playoffs and potentially finals is how deep our bench is and how versatile we are and that’s going to make a huge difference.”
“Staying ready” has become a sports cliché.
But it’s one thing to say it and another to actually embody it.
It’s not always easy to put ego aside, but sacrifice and selfless play are pillars of this team’s culture.
“Everyone understands the importance of when you go out there and you get your minute — whether it’s one, whether it’s 20 — you got to go out there and make a positive impact for this team,” Sabrina Ionescu said. “If you do, you’re going to continue to help us win games. … And I think you’re able to see a team that is playing for one another out there and that’s what I’m most proud of.”
The Liberty’s bench, led by Kennedy Burke, has been a reliable bunch.
They currently lead the WNBA with a net rating of 6.1 through seven games.
Cloud and Breanna Stewart each finished plus-44, which is a franchise record.
The impressive plus-minus mark was also the fifth-highest regular-season mark in league history.
Four of the five starters finished plus-40 or better.
And Johannès led that category among reserves, finishing plus-22.
Sun associate head coach Roneeka Hodges is the latest former Liberty staffer to receive her 2024 championship ring.
“I’m excited,” Hodges said before the game. “It was a wonderful three years that I spent here and it was capped off with the icing on top, with a championship.”
Hodges spent the past three seasons as an assistant on Sandy Brondello’s staff.
The Sun promoted her from assistant to associate head coach after Connecticut picked up its first win of the season Friday.
After the Yankees lost in last year’s World Series and the Knicks fell in the Eastern Conference finals Saturday, the Liberty — and perhaps Gotham FC, too — might once again be New York’s only shots at championships this year.
Asked at the end of her scrum about being the city’s only hope for a championship, Cloud said, “[The Liberty] won last year, I’ve been seeing a lot of tweets talking about we haven’t won a championship since 2011, I know it’s not my champions, but I just feel like there needs to be respect here, so Liberty f—ing biberty.”
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