Liberty crushed by Caitlin Clark, Fever after unraveling in pitiful third quarter
INDIANAPOLIS — The Liberty have no excuse.They hadn’t played a game since Sunday after travel disruption caused Thursday’s game in Dallas to be moved to Monday.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA.
They had extra practice, extra time to prepare and more meetings to get everyone on the same page.Breanna Stewart thought they were ready.Roughly 12 hours later, the Liberty showed they were not.Earlier in the day, Stewart told The Post that Saturday night’s game against the Fever was more about proving to themselves that the work is paying off than proving to others that the Liberty are a serious contender.New York’s pride was on the line.But things unraveled for the Liberty and they never recovered, falling to the fatigued Fever 108-88.Embarrassing.Disappointing.
Frustrating.Demoralizing.
Pick your adjective.The Liberty led by 13 points with 2:55 left in the first half.Then, Lexi Hull hit a 3 in transition.Pauline Astier got called for a flagrant foul, sending Kelsey Mitchell to the line for three free throws, and Tyasha Harris drained a 3.
That six-point swing made it a four-point game.The Liberty led by four at halftime.The Fever — playing on the second night of a back-to-back with Caitlin Clark on a minutes restriction — outscored them 30-12 in the third quarter.
Mitchell had 14 of her 33 points in the period.It was the same story, different game.The Liberty looked out of sorts.
The chemistry seems off.They’re asking too much of Stewart.
It was never going to be sustainable.New York committed 17 turnovers resulting in 30 Fever points.Indiana converted its eight offensive boards into 18 points.The Fever looked every bit like a team playing for the second time in 24 hours.
And yet, the Liberty — who, again, hadn’t played in six days — couldn’t take advantage.New York’s third-quarter showing was pitiful.The Liberty committed eight ...