WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty Game Notes - Game #15 - New York (9-5) at Phoenix (9-5)

July 17, 2015 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


NEW YORK LIBERTY (9-5) AT PHOENIX MERCURY (9-5)

Saturday, July 18 - Phoenix, Arix. (US Airways Center) - 10 PM ET

Broadcast: MSG

Two of the hottest teams in the WNBA will clash when New York pays a visit to the Phoenix Mercury on Saturday, July 18, at 10 p.m. (PT). New York moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference standings thanks to its win over the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night, and overall the Liberty have won five of its last six. Phoenix, bolstered by the return of All-Star center Brittney Griner, has won six in a row and are 6-1 at the US Airways Center this season, sitting just a game and a half back of first-place Minnesota. New York won the first meeting of the season, 68-57, last month at Madison Square Garden, but both teams were without a star player as the Mercury missed Brittney Griner and Epiphanny Prince had yet to join the Liberty.

NEW YORK FOUR-GAMES OVER .500 FOR 1ST TIME SINCE 2011

Winners of five of its last six games, the New York Liberty has tied the Chicago Sky for 1st place in the Eastern Conference standings, and at 9-5 overall, New York is four games about .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 regular season when the team finished with a record of 19-15. The Liberty have thrived at Madison Square Garden, posting a 6-2 record so far this season on its home court, and New York is posting some of the strongest defensive numbers in the league, limiting foes to just 36.6 percent shooting, which leads the league, and 71.5 points per game, ranked second in the WNBA.

KIAH STOKES BLOCKS FRANCHISE RECORD 8 SHOTS

Liberty rookie Kiah Stokes was a shot-blocking machine in the team's 64-57 win over Connecticut on July 16, as she came off the bench to record a franchise single-game record eight blocks, which are also the most for any WNBA player this season. Five of those swatted shots came in the fourth quarter, when New York limited the Sun to just 3-of-16 shooting. The previous Libety single-game record for blocked shots was six, set by Shameka Christon at Phoenix on July 16, 2006. In a short period of time, Stokes has established herself as a premier defender in the WNBA, ranking second in the league with 2.6 blocks per game while displaying the ability to guard nearly any player on the floor. Her shot blocking is just getting better, over the last seven games she is averaging 3.7 blocks per game.

LAST TIME OUT - NEW YORK 64, CONNECTICUT 57

Kiah Stokes finished with a Liberty franchise single-game record eight blocks.

Stokes' final stat line was 7 points, 8 rebounds and 8 blocks.

It was the 7th game this year with at least 3 blocks for Stokes, now averaging 2.6 blocks per game. The eight blocks are the most in a WNBA game this season

Tina Charles topped 20 points for the fifth time this year and the fourth over the last five games. She finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds for career double-double No. 103.

After trailing 33-28 at the half, New York opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a Prince 3-point play that gave them a 36-33 lead.

New York outscored Connecticut 24-17 in the third quarter to take a 52-50 lead into the 4th; the Liberty are now 9-0 this year when leading heading into the fourth.

The Liberty limited Connecticut to just 30.0 percent shooting, including 26.7 percent in the second half and 18.8 percent in the 4th

New York lowered its league-leading defensive field goal percentage to 36.6 from 37.2 heading into the game.

Epiphanny Prince scored in double figures for the fourth-straight game finishing with 10 points.

The game featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes and neither team ever led by double figures.

New York is now 6-2 in games decided by 6-10 points.

#REPRESENTINGNYC #TCinCT CHARLES VOTED ALL-STAR STARTER

For the second time in her career, New York star center Tina Charles has been voted by the fans to represented the Eastern Conference as a starter in the WNBA All-Star Game. Charles, who leads the Liberty in scoring and rebounding, and is amongst the league leaders in both categories, finished third in the East front-court players to secure her fourth-straight trip to the All-Star game (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015). She has turned in an impressive campaign for New York, averaging 16.4 ppg, which ranks 8th in the league and 8.9 rpg, good for fifth. Charles has five 20-plus point games this season and six double-doubles.

LIBERTY HOST 18,617 FANS DURING CAMP DAY WIN

The New York Liberty defeated the San Antonio Stars, 84-68, Wednesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden in front of 18,617 people, the largest crowd to watch a Liberty game at The Garden since 2002. It was the sixth-largest crowd to ever see a Liberty regular season game at Madison Square Garden, and the most fans since the team drew 19,563 against the Charlotte Sting on August 11, 2002.

WEST COAST ROAD TRIP - IN FOCUS

New York will not return to Madison Square Garden, where it is 6-2 so far this season, until Sunday, Aug. 2, playing four-straight games on the road, which includes three during one trip out to the Pacific time zone. Starting with Saturday, July 18, at Phoenix, the Liberty will play three games in five days. After Saturday night's game the Liberty will fly up to Seattle to tangle with the Storm, which is the front end of a back-to-back with the LA Sparks, who New York will face the next day at the Staples Center. The All-Star break means a week between games, but then it is back on the road to face the Indiana Fever on July 29.

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