Liberty vs. Wings Preview: How & Who to Watch, Odds, & More (7/19)

Those who can't wait for New York and Dallas to battle on Sundays at 1 p.m. will have their fill coming a few days ... and months ... early.

The New York Liberty will tip off their post-WNBA All-Star break schedule on Wednesday afternoon when the Dallas Wings visit Barclays Center. Both teams went into the break on a high note: the Liberty won each of their final four games to leap into second place on the WNBA leaderboard while Dallas prevailed in each of its last three to settle into sixth.

New York previously did battle with the Wings on June 11, which saw each side's All-Star group live up to their billing: Arike Ogunbowale had 25 points while Satou Sabally had 17 points and 11 rebounds, but Breanna Stewart put in 32 next to Courtney Vandersloot's 15-point, 10-assist double-double. With 22 points coming from Sabally's collegiate teammate and 2020 draft classmate Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty protected their hardwood to the tune of a 102-93 victory.

The Liberty and Wings are due for one more battle on Sept. 5, with the Liberty making their way to North Texas.

What: Dallas Wings (11-9) @ New York Liberty (14-4)

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY

When/Watch: Wednesday, 1 p.m. ET, YES/NBA TV

Who's Favored: NYL -8.5

This behind the back pass from Marine Johannès 🤯 pic.twitter.com/ayVBRNfOAu
— PlaymakerW (@playmakerw) June 3, 2023

Keep An Eye On: Marine Johannés

Perhaps no one in New York was happier to see the All-Star break arrive than Johannés. The Liberty's resident magician is searching for her spark. Johannés tried to up her defensive output in the early going but has struggled on the offensive end, shooting just 15 percent from the floor in her last four games (including 0-of-9 from three-point range).

The Liberty see Johannés' struggles as a team-wide issue but they're going to encourage her to keep firing if she has the opportunities.

"She has to keep shooting. We have to put her in positions where she gets open looks," head coach Sandy Brondello said "As a shooter, you just have to make one. We believe in her. The break's good for everyone."

Johannés' struggles coincide with a team-wide problem on the Liberty bench: since Stefanie Dolson went down on June 23 (and she's set to miss her eighth consecutive game due to an ankle injury), only one double-figure scoring effort has come from beyond the regular starting five of Ionescu, Stewart, Vandersloot, Jonquel Jones, and Betnijah Laney.

Natasha Howard went to work 😤

@nhoward1033 finished with 23 PTS, 4 REB and 3 AST to help push the Dallas Wings past the Atlanta Dream#MoreThanGame pic.twitter.com/CeH3xiIsfx
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 21, 2023

Wing to Watch: Natasha Howard

Another sacrifice for the stacked roster they've assembled, Howard was dealt by the Liberty to Dallas in the multi-team deal that sent Jones to New York. She got off to a relatively quiet start that included a 5-of-17 outing in her first Brooklyn homecoming but capped off the first half on a torrid pace: in her previous 10 games, Howard has averaged 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, primarily building that tally through six double-doubles.

In hindsight, Howard might've been a slight fish out of water in New York, whose offense flows through small-ball backcourt stars Ionescu and Vandersloot (having the historic talents of Jones and Stewart added alongside them certainly help as well). Working with the literally sizeable talents of Sabally, a dark horse MVP candidate, Howard is now a major piece of Dallas' equally remote yet undeniably exciting championship bid.

They Said It

"I think it helps we've all been there, been in those situations. We know what it takes to grind it out, get the win...everyone is great in this league, no matter what their record is. We know these situations will rise in a championship run."-Betnijah Laney on how and why the Liberty have been able to score and succeed in clutch situations.

Prediction

As a whole, the break couldn't have come at a better time for the Liberty, who have had trouble playing with a lead. In each of the past three games, New York built sizeable double-figure advantages against overmatched competition but had to muster up late heroics to escape with victories. It's fair to worry about a streaking Dallas team, one looking for a statement as it prepares to fight for hosting duties in a playoff round, coming in on a camp day to mess with the Liberty's mojo.

But a team like the Liberty, one packed to the brim with high-octane talents and equally explosive expectations, can very much benefit from having a few days off, even if the All-Star break was anything but a sabbatical for some of their players. Dallas will be difficult, but there's enough positive momentum coursing through the Liberty's veins to start the new portion of the schedule off on the right note.

Liberty 88, Wings 86

Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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