Liberty 76, Sparks 69: Triple threat
Courtney Vandersloot, mostly known as a director and a willing co-star, took center stage when the lights were brightest leading the Liberty to their sixth win in seven games
Early in June, the New York Liberty scored under 80 points against the Chicago Sky, a win by the skin of their teeth on the road. Two weeks later, they fell short of that mark again in a loss to the Atlanta Dream. Since then they have scored 80+ 10 times, 90+ five, 100+ four and this week won for just the second time this year when scoring below 80, defeating the Los Angeles Sparks in come-from-behind fashion 76-69. Courtney Vandersloot led both teams with 23 points, with 20 coming in the second half and 13 on 5-of-6 shooting in the decisive fourth quarter.
Last week, the veteran got her first DNP of the season against the Minnesota Lynx. Coach Sandy Brondello explained, “Just [because of] the back-to-back. Just rest, a bit of load management. Getting ready for the long flight over to L.A.” The load management came after the Liberty beat the Atlanta Dream, a strategic move that may or may not have contributed to the Liberty’s loss against the Lynx the following night. Sloot had six points against the Dream, and Brondello and staff obviously deserve props for making the call to let the 34-year-old rest.
Sloot fans don’t generally associate the point guard with scoring outbursts, at least not as a pro, and certainly not as someone who rests. She scored a record 113 points in her high school tournament senior year, led the West Coast Conference in scoring her senior year and started all 32 games for the Chicago Sky their championship season. For a player who usually averages around 10 a game, going off for 23 is a huge deal. She made nearly two-thirds of her shots, including and 4-of-5 from three, most after tweaking her ankle in the second quarter following a collision with Sparks forward Nneka Ogwumike, the only other player on either team to score 20+. The setback didn’t stop Vandersloot from coming out firing.
“I’m feeling good,” she said after the win. “I’m feeling ok. I just tweaked it a little bit. I just wanted to come in in the second half and be aggressive for us. I didn’t see how the first half ended, so I just wanted to make an impact.”
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The floor general went into the half with just an assist, a foul, and a turnover, but a few minutes into the second half she began to capitalize on open shots and found the hot hand. Speaking of hands, she seemed to have hers on just about every play, whether grabbing a steal, dishing an assist or scoring a basket of her own. When she subbed out for Sabrina Ionescu with just over two minutes to play in the third quarter, the Liberty’s scoring froze.
Sure enough, Sloot came back in for the fourth and immediately kicked things off with a three. She would score 13 points in the fourth alone. Although the game was relatively low-scoring for the Liberty, the highlight, beyond a win, is that they can score even if Ionescu and Breanna Stewart don’t have it that night. Players continue to step up, as they have this entire season, and the coaching has been mature maintaining care for the big picture, like Brondello’s giving Sloot some rest in a back-to-back. Speaking of Brondello, with the win she secured her 200th regular-season win as a head coach, a feat she accomplished in 354 games, sixth-fastest in WNBA history.
The Liberty will face the Lynx this Friday in Minnesota after a couple days off. Safe to assume Vandersloot isn’t a DNP this time.
