New York Liberty Game Notes: Eastern Conference Semifinals Game #1 vs. Washington Mystics
September 17, 2015 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release
#1 NEW YORK LIBERTY (23-11) vs. #4 WASHINGTON MYSTICS (18-16)
Friday, September 18 - Madison Square Garden - 7 PM
Broadcast: MSG Network/NBATV
Download complete 2015 Postseason Media Guide
The New York Liberty will open the 2015 WNBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Washington Mystics on Friday, Sept. 18, at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on MSG Network and NBATV. New York finished the regular season with the best record in the WNBA at 23-11 overall, and will have home court advantage in the best-of-three series with the Mystics, which finished fourth in the East with an 18-16 mark. However, Washington took 3-of-4 from the Liberty during the regular season, most recently winning 82-55 on Sept. 11, but that game came after the Liberty had clinched the best overall record.
LIBERTY PLAYOFF BITES
The Liberty is making its 13th appearance in the WNBA Playoffs and its first since 2012.
New York's all-time playoff record is 23-37.
Friday night's game will be the first WNBA Playoffs contest at Madison Square Garden since Sept. 5, 2010.
New York enters the postseason with home court throughout the playoffs for the first time in its history. The Liberty posted the best record in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2002.
The Liberty's 23 wins set a new franchise regular season record.
New York is 4-1 all-time against the Mystics in the postseason, but has not played Washington since 2002.
MORE LIBERTY PLAYOFF NOTES
The Liberty is 16-10 all-time in WNBA Playoffs home games, and this will be the first postseason game at Madison Square Garden since 2010.
New York is 7-5 all-time in its first game of the postseason.
New York is 9-13 all-time in its first game of a WNBA Playoff series.
The Liberty has won both playoff series with the Mystics, taking a 2-0 win in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2000 and a 2-1 win in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2002.
New York has won the Eastern Conference Title three times (1999, 2000, 2002) and been to the WNBA Finals four times (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).
BIG TIME EXPERIENCE
There are several Liberty players that have extensive playoff experience, and four have won a WNBA Championship. Swin Cash has played in 49-career postseason games and won three WNBA Championships, two with Detroit (2003 & 2006) and one with Seattle (2010). Tanisha Wright was teammates with Cash during the Seattle Storm's 2010 championship season. Candice Wiggins captured a title as a member of the Minnesota Lynx in 2011, and Sugar Rodgers was on the Lynx 2013 championship squad. Head Coach Bill Laimbeer has won three WNBA Championships, all three as the head coach of the Detroit Shock (2003, 2006, 2008).
Additionally, Essence Carson has been to the playoffs with the Liberty in 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2012, Epiphanny Prince helped Chicago reach the WNBA Finals last season, and also played in the postseason in 2013. Tina Charles made back-to-back playoff appearances in Connecticut (2011, 2012), and Avery Warley-Talbert was also a member of the Sky's 2013 playoff team.
FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON WITH WASHINGTON?
Washington won the regular season series with New York 3-1, and the Mystics' defense has been stout, holding the Liberty to just 63.8 ppg. However, the argument can be made the teams have not faced one another as New York is currently constituted. The first two meetings came in early June, when the Liberty was without Epiphanny Prince. The July 9 meeting was the first Prince played for New York, but she came off the bench in a game the Liberty won in overtime. Last week, Washington controlled the action, but two days prior, New York had clinched home court advantage and Charles and Prince combined to play just 29 minutes.
#BURNBRIGHT LACE UP FOR THE LIBERTY
As the only women's professional sports team in NYC, the Liberty has ignited a movement that is bigger than basketball, and we hope it inspires the next generation of women and girls to stand tall and #BurnBright in everything they do. Some members of the Liberty will be wearing custom sea foam and orange laces for the playoffs to support the movement, and in arena, New York will be debuting a #BurnBright commercial directed by Spike Lee, empowering girls to chase their dreams.
Women's National Basketball Association Stories from September 17, 2015
- Liberty's Bill Laimbeer Named WNBA Coach of the Year - WNBA
- New York Liberty's Bill Laimbeer Named WNBA Coach of the Year - New York Liberty
- New York Liberty Game Notes: Eastern Conference Semifinals Game #1 vs. Washington Mystics - New York Liberty
- Brittney Griner Named 2015 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year Presented by Samsung - Phoenix Mercury
- Mercury's Brittney Griner Named 2015 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year - WNBA
- Draft Ops Unveils Mystics Jersey Sponsorship - Washington Mystics
- Tulsa Shock Announce TV Broadcast Crew for First Round Home Playoff Game - Tulsa Shock
- Sky's Delle Donne and Vandersloot, Shock's Paris Earn 2015 WNBA Peak Performer Honors - Chicago Sky
- Sky's Delle Donne and Vandersloot, Shock's Paris Earn 2015 WNBA Peak Performer Honors - WNBA
- Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley Named 2015 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year - WNBA
- Chicago Sky Guard Allie Quigley Named 2015 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year - Chicago Sky
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