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WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty Game Notes: Game #3 vs. Los Angeles Sparks

May 20, 2016 - Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


HEADLINES

- The Liberty is off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011 thanks to its 79-71 win over Dallas in its home opener last Sunday night at The Garden. On Saturday, New York will be seeking its first 3-0 start in nearly a decade, since 2007, when the Liberty won its first five games of the season.

- Last season, New York swept the season series with Los Angeles for the first time since 2010, and overall the Liberty has won three straight in the series. The Liberty has never beaten the Sparks four times in a row, which is what they will attempt to do when the teams match up on Saturday.

- Tina Charles has opened the 2017 season on a tear, posting 24 points and 11 rebounds in each of her first two games, both Liberty victories. In the win over Dallas last Sunday, she notched career double-double No. 111 in her 200th career game played.

- Sugar Rodgers has been red hot to start the season, posting a career-high 24 points with a career-best six 3-pointers as the Liberty dispatched the Wings on Sunday. Rodgers, who led the Liberty with 41 3-pointers last season, already has nine triples this year and currently ranks sixth in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 21.5 ppg.

DEJA VU

Liberty forward Tina Charles turned in remarkably consistent performances in a pair of victories to start the season last weekend, posting 24 points and 11 rebounds in each of the first two games of the year. Sunday's victory over Dallas represented the 200th regular season game of Charles' career, and she has posted 111 double-doubles over that stretch, second in WNBA history, meaning she has a double-double in 55.5 percent of her games played as a pro. Her 10.2 rebounds per game are first all time, while her career scoring average of 17.3 ppg is 10th.

RED HOT RODGERS

Fourth-year guard Sugar Rodgers capped off an impressive start to the 2016 season by scoring a career-high 24 points to go along with a career-best six 3-pointers in the Liberty's 79-71 win over Dallas on May 15. Rodgers is coming off a season in which she ranked third on the team in scoring (8.1 ppg) and led the Liberty in 3-point shooting, hitting 41 triples. She already has nine 3-pointers through two games this season, and currently ranks sixth in the WNBA in scoring, averaging 21.5 ppg.

PICKING UP THE PACE

Although just two games into the season, during preseason play and the start of the regular season, much has been made of the Liberty's faster pace on the offensive end of the floor, and the numbers back up that sentiment. While some rule changes, such as the shot clock reset to 14 on offensive rebounds, should mean every team has more possessions his season, the Liberty's shift is more drastic than that. Last year, New York ranked sixth in the league, averaging 77.3 offensive possessions per 40 minutes. So far this season, that number has jumped up to 86.2, good for fourth in the WNBA.

STILL GOT IT

Last season's Liberty squad was one of the best performing defensive units over the past several years of the league, and with key additions along the front line along with the addition of Shavonte Zellous, there is little reason to think that would be any different in 2016. Through two games, the Liberty ranks second in the WNBA, yielding 73.7 possessions per 40 to opponents, down from 75.8 a year ago. Additionally, teams are shooting just 35.0 percent against New York, first in the league.

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Women's National Basketball Association Stories from May 20, 2016


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