Liberty Want a Say in Ultimate Uncontrollable
BROOKLYN — Like Sarah Connor before them, the New York Liberty know there's no fate but what they make.
The headlines from the last two Liberty games have partly centered on an egregious foul shot differential where they're on the wrong end: over the last two games, Liberty opponents have tried 37 more singles than the seafoam savants, the second-worst two-game margin in New York history. Things got particularly lopsided in their recent 86-80 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, which saw the Liberty try only eight at the charity stripe while Minnesota got 33.
"Minnesota can't be complaining too much now," smirking head coach Sandy Brondello jokingly remarked on Monday, referring to the ongoing qualms Lynx fans and reps had and have against officiating in last year's Finals against the Liberty. "... But, you know, it never usually comes down to the last play anyway. It comes down to what happens, always during, before it as well. They got the they got the call last game. We're on homecourt now, so maybe we'll get the call."
The defending champion Liberty (21-13) gets another go at the Lynx in the last of four Finals rematches. It'll be the last of the four scheduled sequels and Minnesota took the first three, including Saturday's single showcase.
Liberty reps admitted a lack of discipline in the prior loss, an 83-77 defeat to the Las Vegas Aces on Wednesday, afforded a Sin City an astonishing 18 free throw attempts over the final 10 minutes. While Saturday's postgame had a similarly regretful aura, Brondello lamented the lack of metropolitan whistle as the team prepped on Monday, taking particularly issue with Sabrina Ionescu getting knocked down on a late-minute jumpball and Leonie Fiebich getting no relief on several physical drives.
"We didn't get the whistles where I thought we should have," Bondello said on Monday. "If you saw the jumpball at the end, I mean, [Ionescu] was mauled, Leo driving ... We've lacked discipline with some hands, but they're using their bodies, and that's a foul, that's a reroute, and that's [in] the rule books. Hopefully they can clean that up. I don't mind if you want to play physical, play physical, but make it at both ends of the floor."
"We are a very, very physical team, and it’s not like we were passive," All-Star point guard Sabrina Ionescu told Bridget Reilly of the New York Post. "It’s something that if we got five or six of those calls, the outcome of the game is completely different. But it’s one of those things where we never use that as an excuse.”
Depending on officials is perhaps an early admission of defeat, and both New York and Minnesota had their issues with zebras during last fall's epic Finals fracas. The Liberty's clinching of their first postseason championship was delayed, but not denied, when they were out-singled 20-9 in Game 4 with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five set. In the ensuing decider, Breanna Stewart sank free throws that forced an overtime session that the Liberty won 7-2.
A rare practice under Barclays Center's grassy roof allowed the Liberty to declare their understanding that they can indeed have a say in sports' ultimate uncontrollable.
"It all comes down to effort and energy," said reserve shooter Kennedy Burke, who returned from a sizable injury absence last week. "Obviously, we're not going to be able to say a lot to the referees, because they're just going to make those calls that they see, and it can be frustrating to the players. But at the end of the day, we have to control what we can control, and that's making sure that, when we do attack the basket, we have to make sure that we're getting that contact and making them blow the whistle."
"At the same time, we have to make sure that we have a good attitude when things aren't going our way, getting it back on the defensive end, or making sure, in the next offensive situation, that we get a really good shot, making sure that, like everyone is involved."
Brondello prefaced her own statements by continuing to admit that a look in the metropolitan mirror is required. In addition to still seeking consistent discipline, Brondello hopes to see New York regain its sense of physicality as the game goes on and adapt beyond its reputation for frequent, if not falling, three-point tries.
"We still have to be the aggressor. You have to be the aggressor," Brondello said. "You have to be on your front foot. You can't just be a three-point shooting team with no penetration or inside attack. We just got to stay tough."
Granted a practice in Barclays Center's lower levels for the first time in over a month on Monday, Brondello's proteges appeared to get the message.
"We have to be more aggressive, getting more to the paint," Emma Meesseman said. "We have to get more contact, because we kind of let [Minnesota] dictate the game a little bit. On the other hand, you can't always talk about it, apparently in America, so I'm going to skip that. But it can't be just that excuse. It's also urgent that we have to make them call something."
Geoff Magliocchetti is a veteran sportswriter who contributes to a variety of sites on the "On SI" network. In addition to the Yankees/Mets, Geoff also covers the New York Knicks, New York Liberty, and New York Giants and has previously written about the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Staten Island Yankees, and NASCAR.