NY Liberty vs. Connecticut Sun preview: Saturday Showdown in Uncasville

Taking care of business. The New York Liberty continued their Commissioner’s Cup road trip in Atlanta vs. the Dream on Thursday night. It wasn’t the smoothest affair on offense, but the Liberty did more than enough to come away with another double digit victory. They are 3-0 in Cup play and have won their last five games.

The opponent today is the best in the WNBA thus far in 2024. The Connecticut Sun are 9-0 and have gotten off to the best start in franchise history. They’ve been off since Tuesday after beating the Washington Mystics, 76-59.

Where to follow the game

ABC is the place to be. Tip after 1:00 p.m. ET.

Injuries

Courtney Vandersloot missed Thursday’s game due to personal reasons. She’s officially listed as doubtful for today. Nyara Sabally will miss this game as she continues to recover from a back injury.

Moriah Jefferson is questionable with an ankle injury.

The game

Safe to say, the winner of this game will be representing the Eastern Conference in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game on June 25. These two teams engaged in hand-to-hand combat in last year’s playoff semifinals and figure to see each other in the playoffs once again.

The atmosphere for this one promises to be electric. NetsDaily will be on the scene covering this one and we’ll have plenty of sights and sounds to share. Also, keep an eye out for Liberty fans making the bus trip up to Uncasville to cheer on the home team.

Even when you’re undefeated, there’s still room to get better. On Wednesday, the Sun added some guard depth when they signed Veronica Burton to a rest-of-season contract

To create room, they waived Queen Egbo. With Jefferson’s status up in the air, having another guard will help keep things moving along.

The battle at center will be a fascinating one. Brionna Jones is still working her way back from the Achilles tear she suffered last year. She’s on a minutes restriction, but she’s made the most out of her time on the court. Bri is good for 13 points and five rebounds in 23 minutes a night thus far, and as the season progresses, we’ll see how Stephanie White utilizes her All Star big the further away she is from the injury. Bri will have her hands full against Jonquel Jones this afternoon. The counting stats of 10/8/2/3 don’t tell the full story of how Jones made life difficult on the Dream on the inside. When the Liberty win, it’s when Jones is avoiding foul trouble and wreaking havoc on both sides of the court.

Who will Dijonai Carrington guard this afternoon? The Sun guard has been magnificent this season and has taken on the challenge of guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player. Chances are, she’ll start with Sabrina Ionescu. It was a quiet night at the office for Sab, but she still managed to find her way to the basket. That ability to find her way to the basket will lead to plenty of scoring opportunities for herself and her teammates throughout the day.

On the other side, Betnijah Laney-Hamilton will get the DeWanna Bonner assignment. DB has been her customary excellent self and is ninth in the W in scoring at 19.1 points per game. Bonner is the player the Sun can turn to late for key baskets when the game is on the line. For Laney-Hamilton, she’ll be tasked with forcing Bonner into tough shots.

This game might come down to 3-point shooting. The Sun are last in the WNBA in three point shooting at 29.8%. However, the Libs aren’t that much better at 31.6%. You wonder if today will be the day New York starts to look like themselves from three point range. It would be the perfect time for a renaissance.

Player to watch: Alyssa Thomas

The Engine is back and better than ever. She’s playing at an MVP level and is once again averaging close to a triple double every night she’s on the court. She’s “only” seventh in the WNBA in minutes per game this season, which is a relief considering how much she had to shoulder last season. With healthier teammates around her, Thomas can get some more rest in this congested regular season. However, we all know that she can give you a full 40 minutes when the time calls for it.

Breanna Stewart is starting to heat up a bit. She’s scored 58 points in her last two games and been the focal point of the Liberty attack. The three point shooting still isn’t there for her, but the Liberty have made up for it by finding her on the move and getting her shot attempts close to the rim. In what promises to be a physical game, her patience and off-ball movement will be immensely valuable.

From the Vault

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More reading: Swish Appeal, CT Insider, Hartford Courant, Chicago Sun Times, The Strickland, The Local W, New York Daily News, New York Post, The Athletic. Fansided, Just Women’s Sports, SI All Knicks, Winsidr, Her Hoop Stats, CBS Sports, and The Next