WNBA New York Liberty

New York Liberty Game Notes

Published on August 1, 2015 under Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)
New York Liberty News Release


NEW YORK LIBERTY (12-6) vs. SEATTLE STORM (5-15)

Sunday, August 2 - Madison Square Garden - 3 PM

Broadcast: MSG/NBATV

The New York Liberty will make its return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since July 16, after going 3-1 on a four-game road trip over the latter half of July. The Liberty comes out of that stretch with a 12-6 record and a half game lead over the Washington Mystics for first place in the Eastern Conference. Sunday afternoon will mark the second matchup between New York and Seattle in as many weeks, with the Liberty picking up an 81-77 victory at Key Arena on July 21. Tina Charles scored a season-high 30 points in that win over the Storm. New York has been very good on its home floor, posting a 6-2 record at The Garden this season, and has won three-straight home games overall.

BECKY HAMMON TO BE INDUCTED INTO LIBERTY RING OF HONOR

One of the greatest players to ever wear a Liberty uniform and a perennial fan favorite, Becky Hammon will be inducted into the New York Liberty Ring of Honor with a halftime ceremony on Sunday afternoon. Undrafted out of Colorado State, Hammon went on to enjoy a 16-year WNBA career, the first eight of which were spent in New York, where she helped lead the franchise to three WNBA Finals appearances (1999, 2000, 2002). She ranks second in franchise history in games played (227) and is third in points scored (2,367) and fourth in assists (575). Hammon will become the sixth member of the Liberty Ring of Honor, joining current Director of Player Development Teresa Weatherspoon, Sue Wicks, Kym Hampton, Rebecca Lobo and Vickie Johnson.

ESSENCE CARSON WITH A BIG ASSIST

New York Liberty guard Essence Carson has been named the winner of the WNBA Community Assist Award presented by State Farm for the month of June. She will be formally presented with her award prior to tipoff against Seattle on Sunday afternoon. It is the second year in a row that Carson has received the Community Assist Award, also winning it last June. While a majority of her charitable work benefiting kids in the tri-state area, her community involvement was diverse. She hosted a youth basketball clinic in her hometown at Paterson High School, met with contestants for the Garden of Dreams Talent Show at Radio City Music Hall, participated in a Celebrity Tasting to benefit Partnership for Drug Free Kids and visited patients at the Lerner Children's Pavilion at Hospital for Special Surgery. Carson will also receive $7,500 to donate to a charity of her choice.

LAST TIME OUT - INDIANA 84, NEW YORK 72

The Liberty saw its five-game winning streak, its longest since the 2010 season, come to an end.

New York concluded its stretch of four-straight road games with a 3-1 record and is now 6-4 away from Madison Square Garden this season.

The Liberty entered the game leading the WNBA with 38.8 rebounds per game but lost the battle of the boards 32-27.

Tina Charles extended her double-digit scoring streak to 10-straight games and Epiphanny Prince has scored in double figures all eight games this year.

Prince matched her season-high of 17 points.

New York committed 21 turnovers, the most since 26 at Tulsa on June 26, which led to 24 Fever points.

Kiah Stokes fouled out with 4:10 remaining in the fourth quarter and was the first Liberty player to foul out of a game this season.

STATE YOUR CASE - PLAYER OF THE MONTH

New York center Tina Charles enjoyed a pretty good month of July, helping lead the Liberty to a 6-2 record overall, including a 4-2 mark on the road. Named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on July 20, she nearly averaged a double-double over eight games last month, with 19.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 48.8 percent (62-of-127) from the field. The biggest highlight of the month came in a win at Seattle on July 21, when she erupted for a season-high 30 points, stopping just two shy of her career-best 32, while shooting 14-of-24 from the field in a New York road win.

LIBERTY SEASON HEADLINES

New York started the year with a 12-5 record, its best start to a season since 2001.

The Liberty posted a five-game winning streak during the month of July, its longest stretch of consecutive wins since 2010.

The 2010 season was also the last time New York won three-straight games on the road.

New York swept the season series with Phoenix for the first time since 2012 and both games from Los Angeles for the first time since 2010.

The Liberty is 6-1 against the Western Conference this season.

New York is 6-2 at Madison Square Garden.

NEW YORK VS. SEATTLE TIDBITS

New York won at Seattle 81-77 on July 21 at Key Arena.

Tina Charles scored a season-high 30 points on 14-of-24 shooting to lead New York to the win.

Seattle hit 30 field goals and shot 48.4 percent from the field, both of which are 2015 season-highs for a Liberty opponent.

Swin Cash scored six points and played 21 minutes, moving past Sheryl Swoopes for 14th place all-time in scoring (4,881) and Becky Hammon for 10th in minutes played (12,588).

The Liberty was dominant in the paint, where it scored a season-high 52 points, holding a plus-20 edge over the Storm.

HOME GROWN 1-2 PUNCH

In the last three-consecutive games, Tina Charles and Epiphanny Prince have been the first and second leading scorers for the Liberty. While Charles scored 18 on Wednesday at Indiana, Prince was right behind her at 17. Against Los Angeles before the All-Star break, Charles scored 14, and Prince was right behind her at 13. These two, both in the sixth year of their WNBA careers, have asserted themselves as a pair of the premier scorers in the WNBA, and are finding those scoring opportunities for each other early into their play in New York, with Charles hailing from Queens and Prince growing up in Brooklyn.

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