Latest news with #SandyBrondello
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11 hours ago
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Liberty showcase scary depth in Nyara Sabally's return
The post Liberty showcase scary depth in Nyara Sabally's return appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Liberty are not a perfect basketball team, but they've done just about everything you could realistically ask of them in their first nine games. Advertisement Teams with just a couple superstars don't do that. The Liberty have destroyed teams this year because, one through 12, they have been the better team on the court each night. The Chicago Sky were the Liberty's latest victim. The reigning WNBA champions went up 12-0 and cruised to an 85-66 win without an injured Jonquel Jones, last year's Finals MVP. Nyara Sabally, playing her first game back from injury herself, set the tone by scoring five of New York's first seven points. 'It didn't look like there was much rust,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'It was great to have her back out there. I think we can just build on that. She knows what she does and how she can help us.' Advertisement Sabally's Liberty and Team Germany teammate Leonie Fiebich explained exactly how. 'She's just so quick in her rolls and she draws a lot of attention in the zone,' Fiebich said before the game. 'She can also shoot the ball from outside, you cannot leave her open. She's so aggressive on the boards, I feel like she's really a force for us.' When Jones comes back, Sabally will return to her bench role alongside Kennedy Burke, who went 3-3 from three-point range on Tuesday, pushing her to over 60 percent from distance this season. 'I think with KB, what I've seen the most is the way she's really taken ownership of the role that she's in,' said Breanna Stewart, who also played with Burke on the Seattle Storm. 'Whenever she's on the court, she's motivated to help the team but also very confident.' Advertisement While Burke is making history with her shooting (no WNBA player has ever shot better than 63 percent from three through nine games), Marine Johannès, an established three-point markswoman herself, has yet to really get going in her reserve role. Once she does, the Liberty will have a minimum of eight players who could reasonably be starting on most other teams. If Brondello only deployed her starting five and those three, she would have the makings of an elite team. But Rebekah Gardner and Isabelle Harrison have both played major roles already through the Liberty's 9-0 start. That bodes well for the upcoming weeks. Eurobasket will further test Liberty's depth Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Even if everyone is healthy by the end of this week, the Liberty are about to lose two key players for multiple games. Sabally and starter Leonie Fiebich will represent Germany at this year's Eurobasket tournament starting next week. Advertisement While we don't know which day the pair will leave and who the Liberty will bring in to fill out the roster in their absence, it's safe to make a few assumptions: For one, Burke will likely slide back into the starting lineup to replace Fiebich. Second, Harrison will take on a bigger role as the primary front court option off the bench. 'The team does a good job of integrating people [into the lineup],' Sabally said. 'It's a couple games then you kind of pick back up right where you left off.' Harrison earned Brondello's confidence during Sabally's six-game absence. 'We've missed [her] while she was away,' Brondello said of Sabally. 'It allowed Izzy Harrison to get more minutes and we're going to have to lean on that as well.' Advertisement With the Liberty blowing out most of their opponents this season, the entire roster has had a chance to play extended minutes as well, which can only help for the coming stretch. The Liberty's next game is Saturday in Indiana against the Fever. It's unclear if Caitlin Clark will play in that game — or if the Liberty's German duo will still be stateside. UPDATE: Sabally has withdrawn from Eurobasket and will remain with the Liberty, she announced on Wednesday. 'After much consideration, I made the difficult decision not to participate in EuroBasket this summer,' she said in a statement. 'I am disappointed to miss the tournament with my team and not to be able to to represent Germany this year as I had planned. It is not easy for me, but given the rehabilitation for my knee the intensive EuroBasket schedule and the tight WNBA calendar, I have to prioritize my health with a view to my long-term goals with the national team. I wish everyone who competes for Germany at EuroBasket much success! I know my teammates will be great — and I can't wait to be back on the field with to everyone, especially to the entire team and to the DBB for the support and understanding.' Related: Jameis Winston gives 'hottest thing in the world' take on WNBA, Liberty Related: Coco Gauff's 'insane' reaction to frenzied ovation at Liberty vs. Sky game
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11 hours ago
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Liberty get major Jonquel Jones injury update for Dream clash
The post Liberty get major Jonquel Jones injury update for Dream clash appeared first on ClutchPoints. The New York Liberty suffered their first loss of the 2025 WNBA season following their 102-88 defeat by the Indiana Fever. Next up on the schedule for the Liberty is the Atlanta Dream at home on Tuesday. And it's possible they could have needed reinforcements available. Jonquel Jones appeared on the team's injury report for their game against the Dream, but should be available, as per Myles Ehrlich of Winsidr. Advertisement Jonquel Jones was officially listed as questionable on the Liberty's injury report, but head coach Sandy Brondello said Jones will play against the Dream and will not be on any minutes restriction, as per Ehrlich. Jones has been sidelined for the last two games with an ankle injury she sustained back on June 5 against the Washington Mystics. In Jones' absence, backup center Nyara Sabally, a major factor in the Liberty's clinching Game 5 win in the WNBA Finals last season, had been in the starting lineup. With Jones presumably back in the lineup, the only missing player from the current roster is Leonie Fiebich who is at Eurobasket. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is out for the season, but her contract was suspended so it doesn't count against the Liberty's current roster. The 2024 Finals MVP, Jones' return gives the Liberty a much-needed presence in the paint. She's appeared in seven games so far at a little over 24 minutes per game. She's been averaging 13.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 blocked shots with splits of 47.8 percent shooting from the field, 42.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 65.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Jones is in her third full season with the Liberty after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Connecticut Sun ahead of the 2023 season. The five-time All-Star was originally selected by the Sun with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft. She played six seasons with the Sun before being traded. Related: Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever Related: The difficult lessons the Liberty received from 1st loss of season
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11 hours ago
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The Liberty's unsung hero who didn't score a point in comeback vs. Dream
The post The Liberty's unsung hero who didn't score a point in comeback vs. Dream appeared first on ClutchPoints. The 2025 New York Liberty are good enough that they can beat any team in the WNBA, even on an off night. With the Atlanta Dream threatening to run them out of Barclays Center on Tuesday night, it took a little extra from an unlikely source. Advertisement Second-year guard Jaylyn Sherrod, mostly relegated to garbage time in the season's opening weeks, found herself on the court against one of the best teams in the league as New York tried to mount a furious comeback. The reason wasn't injuries or foul trouble, it was simply energy. 'It was still so passive…we needed some speed,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said. 'It gave us a lot of energy, gave this a little bit of rest, but when someone plays that hard, the rest of them kind of react to it and I think she sparked it.' Sherrod missed her only shot attempt and played just nine minutes, but every one of them was impactful. Her spark helped turn a 64-47 deficit into a competitive game in the fourth quarter — a game that the Liberty ultimately won, 86-81, as their superstars stepped up, led by Sabrina Ionescu's 34 points. It was Ionescu's second consecutive 30-point game, making her the first player in the WNBA this season to accomplish that feat. Advertisement But if not for the spark that Sherrod brought, it may have been for naught. 'I think Jaylyn came in and gave us a lot of energy,' said Nyara Sabally, who got the start in place of an absent Leonie Fiebich. 'She kind of shifted the energy for us and [we were] just playing off of that.' The Liberty were coming off their first loss of the season, a 102-88 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Fever that will ultimately keep them out of the Commissioner's Cup final. For much of the game on Tuesday, the same defensive problems that plagued New York against the Fever were also a problem against the Dream. 'We just need to play harder sometimes,' Brondello said. 'It was too easy for them in the first half, it's not really what we had planned. We were going under everything and they're shooting threes and we didn't make them feel uncomfortable.' Advertisement The Liberty again struggled to guard the three-point line, often either closing out too late or simply missing rotations that led to easy looks. The Dream hit eight of their 12 threes for the game in the first half. After losing to Indiana, Ionescu talked about how constantly having to take the ball out of the basket kept them from setting up on offense. Sherrod helped make sure that wasn't necessary late against the Dream. So too did Sabally, for that matter. 'Her ceiling is so high and it's just a matter of keeping her healthy,' Brondello said of Sabally. 'We believe in her. She's just got this big, physical body…she just does so many things and she always brigns that effort.' Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu is on a historic run Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Much like Caitlin Clark did to the Liberty over the weekend, Ionescu put the Dream on their heels early on Tuesday. Advertisement She had 20 points in the first half on 7-9 shooting, sending the Barclays Center crowd into an increasing state of hysterics with each made three. When the dust settled, Ionescu came out of the game in historic fashion, joining Breanna Stewart as the only Liberty players to ever have back-to-back 30-point games. 'Sab's a scorer. She's continued to develop the ways in which she scores,' Stewart said. 'She's a shooter, she wants to go left, you know these types of things. Now she gives people different looks, whether it's getting to the basket, o-boards, finishes, threes, mid-ranges. The ability for her to score multiple ways makes it really hard for people to guard.' Next up, it will be a quick turnaround for the Liberty, who have to face the Phoenix Mercury on Thursday night in Brooklyn. The game will tip at 7 p.m. ET. Related: Gotham FC shows up for fellow New York champs as Liberty plays last Commissioner's Cup game Related: Natasha Cloud, Brittney Griner joyfully reunite before Liberty-Dream clash
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11 hours ago
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Liberty HC Sandy Brondello offers Jonquel Jones injury update
The post Liberty HC Sandy Brondello offers Jonquel Jones injury update appeared first on ClutchPoints. New York Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello gave an update on Jonquel Jones' injury. The star center had to exit the game against the Washington Mystics in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury. New York won the game 86-78 to continue its perfect season and go 2-0 in the Commissioner Cup. The Liberty won their first championship in 2024 and look potentially even better in 2025, with a familiar cast in addition to the newest point guard, Natasha Cloud. Advertisement But this group looks even more dangerous and versatile on both ends. Jones has additionally continued her momentum from winning Finals MVP for the first team in her career, but all eyes are now on how long this health setback will keep her out. Brondello provided an immediate update in the postgame of the win over the Mystics. 'She tried to come back at halftime, but still had a little bit of pain. I don't know if she's had any x-rays on that [yet], so we don't know if it'll keep her out.' The Liberty are now 8-0, which is the best start in franchise history. To stand alone above all WNBA teams, New York would have to win six more games to surpass the 2016 Minnesota Lynx. Fittingly, the Lynx are also on a quest for that record, having gotten off to an 8-0 start themselves. Minnesota and New York met in an epic five-game WNBA Finals the previous year, and both teams have looked a tier above the rest so far. Should they not meet in the Commissioner Cup, the league's top two teams will not clash until late July. Based on how Jones played against the Lynx last season, she will be just as critical against them in a potential playoff rematch. But we're a far way from that part of the year. The Liberty can only focus on improving as a team over the next few months and staying healthy. And there is no need to rush Jones back into action if there's a long-term health risk. There's plenty of talent on this roster to tread water for now and get back on schedule when the five-time All-Star returns. The Liberty have to look at the bigger picture when evaluating this injury, and based on recent history, they most certainly will. Related: Historic start puts Liberty on WNBA Finals rematch path Related: Breanna Stewart is doing something the former MVP has never done before
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11 hours ago
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The difficult lessons the Liberty received from 1st loss of season
The post The difficult lessons the Liberty received from 1st loss of season appeared first on ClutchPoints. Down two starters on the road, and on a poor shooting night to boot, the New York Liberty had too much working against them on Saturday as the Indiana Fever handed them their first loss of the season, 102-88. Advertisement Much like the game these two teams played earlier in the season, the Liberty let the Fever build a lead in the third quarter. This time, it was with a 25-3 run that turned a six-point Indiana deficit into a 16-point lead. New York never led again. 'They just plugged holes and plugged gaps and made it really hard for us to get into the paint,' said Sabrina Ionescu, who had a game-high 34 points. 'Obviously it's hard to win a game shooting 20 percent from the three-point line.' With Jonquel Jones still nursing an ankle injury and Leonie Fiebich with the German national team, Nyara Sabally and Kennedy Burke stepped into the starting lineup. Sabally, who has missed most of the season herself with an injury, had her best game so far, shooting 5-12 and scoring 10 points with nine rebounds and a career-high four steals. But after Burke got off to a historically strong start to the season from three, she had an off game against the Fever, shooting 1-5 overall and missing all three of her attempts. Advertisement 'She didn't make a shots like she had in the past, but we probably should have activated her a little bit more,' Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said of Burke. 'It's a situation she hasn't been in for us in a while.' The game wasn't all about the Liberty. Caitlin Clark, making her return after missing five games with a quad strain, positively torched New York in the first half, making six threes and scoring 25 points in the frame. She gave Indiana momentum and a lead going into the break, but even in the spurts where she sat on the bench, the Liberty couldn't get the stops they needed. Sydney Colson hit two second-half threes and Kelsey Mitchell hit a big one in the fourth. Advertisement 'We had so many breakdowns on defense,' Brondello said. 'They're pros for a reason, everyone can make a shot and obviously Sophie [Cunningham] made a few and Colson made a few, and [Lexie] Hull, and they're the daggers.' The first loss is a learning experience for the Liberty Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images The 2024 Liberty won the WNBA championship. The 2025 Liberty have not. Their 9-0 start was the best in franchise history, and even in their close games, they've had stretches of dominance — Saturday notwithstanding. Now with a 1 in the loss column, the team can step back and reflect. 'We're resilient,' Breanna Stewart said. 'If you compare to last year, sometimes that got a little bit shaky because we would just kind of crumble a little bit, and I'm confident in us, we know who we are and how talented we are.' Advertisement Schematically, Brondello identified problems with the team's defense as the Fever shot 17-35 from three. 'We just overhelped off the corners for no reason, we didn't have the second efforts to close out,' she said. The Liberty let mistakes compound, which tends to happen when New York can't get the stops it needs. It prevented the Liberty from getting going in transition. 'When we're having to take the ball out of the basket and we don't have our transition and push and flow, I think that's when we break down a little bit, and so I would say this is great learning for us,' Ionescu said. As for Stewart, who had 24 points herself and was once again a foul magnet (10-14 FT), she was able to take some time for self-critique. Advertisement '[I need to be] making better reads off the switches,' she said. 'They made it difficult, because there was constantly somebody there… and then collectively, our defense, we need to take more pride.' The Liberty are back home on Tuesday when they will face the Atlanta Dream at 7 p.m. Related: Natasha Cloud surpasses WNBA legend despite loss to Fever Related: Sabrina Ionescu gets 100% real on Caitlin Clark's big performance
