The New York Liberty required a stirring comeback against a struggling opponent on Tuesday. Two nights later, the Liberty seemed determined to start quickly and not let up.
That mentality resulted in a wire-to-wire win over the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, and the Liberty now face a quick turnaround when they host the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
New York (18-5) has won four in a row to continue the best start in team history. The Liberty overcame an 18-point deficit for an 86-82 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday before never trailing on Thursday en route to a 95-84 victory over Atlanta.
The Liberty are hoping for another win to conclude their four-game homestand before they play eight of their next 10 games on the road, starting with consecutive games in Los Angeles.
“We just had the mindset of no excuses,” New York star Breanna Stewart said of the performance against the Dream. “This is the way our schedule is, and this is what we have in front of us. If you think about things, you cause it to happen, so we just continue to have a positive mindset.”
Stewart’s latest effort also helped New York get its eighth double-digit victory. Stewart collected 33 points and 12 rebounds for her 12th double-double of the season.
Minnesota (11-13) won five straight from June 27 through July 7 but has lost three of five since. The Lynx survived allowing at least 90 points for the 10th time when they earned a 97-92 home win over the Washington Mystics on Wednesday.
Napheesa Collier totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds but did not play over the final 3:51 due to a right ankle injury that will keep her out of the Friday contest. Rachel Banham (right thumb) also will be sidelined, missing a fifth consecutive game.
Diamond Miller added 21 and nine assists against the Mystics while Kayla McBride contributed 15 for the Lynx. Minnesota shot 50.7 percent on the floor. After giving up 60 points in the first half, the Lynx limited Washington to 32 points in the second half.
“Whatever it takes, our team kind of has that mentality through the adversity we’ve had this season,” McBride said. “Just finding ways to win.”
–Field Level Media
