If you really want to understand the character of the Liberty, look no further than the final 14 minutes of Tuesday’s 86-81 win over the Atlanta Dream.
The Liberty seemed down for the count when coach Sandy Brondello called a timeout with 3:56 left in the third quarter after a 15-3 run grew the Dream’s lead to 17.
Up to that point, the Liberty had looked uninspired. They lacked toughness and urgency. The defending champions, who were coming off their first loss of the season, seemed like they were going through the motions.
But things changed after that timeout.
It started with Sabrina Ionescu, who knocked in a jumper on the Liberty’s next possession.
She ultimately scored seven points to help close the third on a 13-4 run that trimmed the deficit to eight.
Ionescu’s play awakened a sleeping beast. The energy shifted inside Barclays Center. The Liberty were more locked in, more aggressive.
“When you have some winning plays, it changes momentum,” Brondello said.
There were a few examples of those game-turning moments after that timeout. Like when Nyara Sabally stole the ball from Brittney Griner and took it the distance for a layup.
Or when Natasha Cloud converted a jumper into a three-point play that tied the game with 3:56 to go in the fourth. Stewart’s go-ahead layup with less than two minutes to go that gave the Liberty a lead they never let go.
“It was a great learning experience for us,” Ionescu said. “They hit so many shots it felt like in that first half, and we kind of just hung our heads and were upset about it. And the second half we were able to see we’re just a lot more. We were flying out whether they made it or missed it. … We just played through it.”
Ionescu had the best night, finishing with 34 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
But this wasn’t a one-woman show.
Breanna Stewart finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jonquel Jones, in her first game back after missing two games with an ankle injury, registered her sixth double-double this season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Marine Johannès, who played the entire fourth in place of starter Leonie Fiebich, finished a team-best plus-23 and had six rebounds and two assists.
“It was just a total team effort,” Ionescu said. “Obviously just thankful we were able to grind out a win.”
With Jones back in the lineup after missing the previous two games with a sprained ankle, the Liberty thought they were poised for a bounce-back game.
But the Dream had other plans. Atlanta, as expected, let it rain from deep, going 8-for-18 in the first half from 3.
The Liberty started strong, but quickly faded — with the exception of Ionescu, who had 20 first-half points.
It was somewhat surprising the Liberty were only down three points at halftime. They fell into a deep hole in the third quarter, but found a way to respond and grind out a win.
“We just need to play harder sometimes and some of the stuff, it was too easy for them in the first half,” Brondello said. “We didn’t make them feel uncomfortable. I thought we made them feel uncomfortable [over the last 14 minutes.] So we just got back to our identity a little bit and we found a way.”
The Liberty’s schedule doesn’t lighten up any time soon. They will host the Mercury on Thursday before embarking on a lengthy cross-country trip, with stops at Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix and Atlanta.
