Liberty Get Tough Injury News Ahead of Aces Game
The New York Liberty's forecast may have gotten a little Cloudy.
Natasha Cloud is a late entrant to the Liberty's Tuesday night injury report with the Las Vegas Aces coming to town, listed as questionable due to a hip injury. Isabelle Harrison, on the other hand, has been downgraded to out after leaving Sunday's loss to Seattle with a knee ailment after she was initially also questionable.
Cloud has done her best to maintain seafoam sanity amidst a recent slide, notably putting up back-to-back games of at least 20 points as the calendar flipped to July. She was held out of the entire fourth quarter of Sunday's 79-70 defeat despite being the only New York to score in a six-point third period. After the game, head coach Sandy Brondello said that Cloud got "hit" and could not return.
Over the last four games, Cloud is averaging over 17 points a game on just under 56 percent from the field. This is Cloud's first season in New York, where she has quickly become a fan favorite after coming over in an offseason trade with the Phoenix Mercury.
Harrison was injured during third quarter action against the Storm on Sunday, taken down on a tangle-up with teammate Leonie Fiebich as they tried to stop Dominique Malonga under the basket. She was able to gingerly walk to the Liberty locker room with the assistance of head athletic trainer Terri Acosta and teammate Rebekah Gardner but did not return.
With the depth star Harrison, a plus-31 in relief in her previous four games prior to Sunday, out, the injuries continue to mount for the Liberty, who will also be missing Jonquel Jones for the seventh consecutive game as she continues to work off an ankle ailment. The Liberty have dropped six of nine after starting 9-0 as their first postseason championship defense continues.
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.