- 12 hours ago
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:03Welcome back to another edition of Liberty Lately, Dexter, Henry, Madeline, Kenny.
00:06We are coming to you from the Barclays Center where, Maddie, we got to see ourselves with you twice in
00:12a row in person.
00:12Me, once was watching on TV, another thrilling win from the Liberty, a comeback victory, 95-94, another one for
00:21the Liberty.
00:21Look, you don't want to be living on the edge.
00:24The Liberty have done that the last couple of games.
00:26What do you make of the fact that they had another comeback victory here, their second win in a row
00:31right before the All-Star break?
00:32It felt like the Liberty kept digging themselves into these big holes and then they were having these runs.
00:37They just kind of kept falling up short.
00:39And it seems like over these past three days where they won on Monday in Dallas, the postponed game after
00:45the travel issues,
00:46and then they won tonight here in Chicago on Wednesday night, it felt like it was just them saying enough
00:52is enough.
00:53And just finally digging deep and being able to push through all the way to the end.
00:57And today was actually even crazier than Sabrina Unescu's 12 points in overtime after going, like, what, 3-for-20
01:03through the first four quarters, I think?
01:05Today she had, like, nine points over the last 56 seconds.
01:08Led the Liberty on a 10-1 run that secured them the one-point victory.
01:13Absolutely bonkers to watch and witness.
01:15And even her teammates say that while they're not surprised by Sabrina, they are amazed.
01:21But, again, it just felt like they finally dug down and decided enough is enough.
01:26Defensively, they're showing these really, like, aggressive coverages that they're able to implement in certain instances.
01:33And it's really effective.
01:34It's hard to do that for the full 40 minutes.
01:36And I know you want to say, like, well, why can't they play that way all the time?
01:39But that's asking a lot.
01:40And I think, you know, there are things defensively that they need to work on and tighten up.
01:45And I think, obviously, losing Leonie Feebic for however long.
01:48You and I were talking about that watching this game.
01:50Yeah, yep.
01:51And Satu Saboli, like, that adds stress to their own defense.
01:54But they have to be making sure that they're really imposing themselves.
01:57Like, you can't make it easy to score on.
02:00You know what I mean?
02:00Yeah, you saw that in this game in particular, right?
02:03They were getting scored on easily in the paint.
02:05But then there was a possession.
02:06I think this was near the final minute where they got a 24-second shot clock violation.
02:10It was in the final minute, yeah.
02:11In the final minute, right?
02:11And it was a really great defense by Paulie Nastier.
02:14And then JJ really helped there.
02:16And you're right.
02:16Fans are going to look at that and say, where is that all the time?
02:19But I think you make a great point that you've got to look a little bit at who's there,
02:22how their defense was stressed, that some people, like Rihanna Stewart,
02:25you've wrote about this, has been asked to do a lot here.
02:28And we've got to respect that as well, too.
02:29This is what Chris DiMarco, he had to say after another big win for the Liberty,
02:33their second straight before the All-Star break.
02:35You know, it just builds our character.
02:37Like, now you know if it's a late game and you're down,
02:39that we have it in us to come back and to execute and to get stops when we need to.
02:43And, again, just a ton of confidence in this team.
02:46And Chicago, this is a good team.
02:48Like, they're very good.
02:49They have vets, they have scoring, they have bigs who know how to play.
02:52And they've lost a lot of close games.
02:55And it's a good team that's well coached.
02:56We knew it was going to be tough.
02:58And we just stuck with it.
02:59And I do want to shout out our bench.
03:01Nine rebounds, zero turnovers.
03:03They were a huge night.
03:04All right, Matty.
03:05You talked about her.
03:07You had, there's no way you could not look at this game.
03:09And then even the previous game.
03:10We saw Sab take over in overtime in Dallas.
03:13Then she takes over here in the final minute.
03:16Nine points in the final 56 seconds.
03:18That is just insane what she did.
03:21The last time you and I were here, we talked about,
03:23okay, is she getting that to form?
03:25Well, this looks like old Sab.
03:27The confidence there, but I'm even more impressed that she's like,
03:30okay, I'm not going to let this team die.
03:33Not on my watch.
03:34Are you seeing, like, the confidence in her
03:36and that sort of killer instinct back with her
03:38when you see performances like this?
03:40I feel like her confidence was never the problem.
03:42Like, it was never like she wasn't her own self or whatever.
03:45I think it was just, like, finding her rhythm and finding her flow.
03:48She's playing with some new teammates.
03:50Pauline is becoming, like, a backcourt partnership
03:52that really has been effective so far, I would say.
03:56And I think it was just, again,
03:58she missed so much time at the start of the season
04:00when they were starting to build the foundation
04:02of what they wanted this team to look like.
04:04She comes back in, and I don't mean disrupt
04:07in, like, a negative connotation by any means,
04:09but you add a Sabrina who's going to have high usage,
04:12put her into this situation that's already somewhat established,
04:14it kind of shook things around a little bit,
04:16and it took some time for them to, like, you know,
04:19calm the waves and find their footing again
04:22in the last five games in particular.
04:24I feel like we've seen Sabrina's back.
04:26You know, she has eclipsed 20 points or more
04:29in four of the last five games, I believe.
04:31Four of the last five, yep.
04:32So I think, yeah, in the last two ways,
04:34the way that she willed them to a victory in Dallas in overtime
04:37after a poor shooting performance for the first, like...
04:42Three and a half quarters, pretty much.
04:43Yeah, yeah.
04:44And the thing was is she was generating good looks,
04:46the shots weren't falling.
04:47Right.
04:47And that's just one of those, like, killer things
04:49where you just have to keep going.
04:51But tonight it really was this, like, Sabrina takeover,
04:54incredible fourth quarter performance by her, one of her best.
04:57Yeah, and after the game,
04:58Sab talked about her own takeover late
05:00that led the Liberty to another victory.
05:02I understood what the score was,
05:04and, I mean, knew we had to get threes up.
05:10So obviously, like, my teammates set great screens.
05:13They were finding me.
05:14We were running some random plays there at the end
05:16just to try and get me, like, loose at the top in transition.
05:19And, yeah, I mean, I just saw the basket
05:22and felt like I was kind of having my own three-point shootout in-game.
05:29So my thing is when you have these kind of wins
05:32that you've seen over the last couple of games,
05:36you look at it and say, ah, they were playing with their food,
05:38they got behind late,
05:39but then you feel like identity can start to form with the team.
05:44And do you think resiliency is maybe becoming part of their identity now
05:48with these comeback victories?
05:49I think so.
05:50I think, yes, the identity, like, definitely being resilient and stuff.
05:53We have not seen, like, the Liberty in past years.
05:56They've been, like, a very offensive team, right?
05:58Or, like, they've had, like, whatever.
05:59And I think we haven't really seen the Liberty overly excel consistently
06:06on either side of the floor.
06:08And it's kind of created this, like, question of who are the Liberty?
06:11Like, who do they want to be?
06:13And, you know, we've seen it in, like, spurts,
06:16but they weren't consistent game-to-game or quarter-to-quarter.
06:19I think we talked about that in the last episode.
06:20But it really feels like, you know,
06:23when you watch the game at, like, a micro level,
06:26and you're kind of seeing all the different things when you re-watch it.
06:29It's hard to see it, like, in real time.
06:30You've got to re-watch it.
06:31You see them, like, kind of doing the right things,
06:33and then it's, like, something happens late in the shot clock or whatever,
06:38and it's, like, that misrotation or miscommunication or whatever it might be,
06:43like, leads to something that is, like, oh, gosh, that shot was wide open.
06:47So it seems like they have, like, the right foundation there.
06:50It's just about, like, tightening things up, I think.
06:53And, like, building chemistry is going to be a continued thing with this team,
06:56especially with, like, the way the rotation has been such a Jenga of sorts.
07:01It's been a mess.
07:02It's been, yeah.
07:02Not saying that they are a mess, but you get it.
07:04It's just been a lot.
07:05There's just been a lot of people in and out.
07:06And, you know, minutes restrictions, non-minutes restrictions,
07:09and so that's, like, complicated all of this process.
07:12Yeah, it really has.
07:13And the same question I just asked Matty, I asked Chris DiMarco after this game,
07:17and he had an interesting answer about the team building identity,
07:20possibly around resiliency.
07:22Yeah, definitely.
07:23I mean, I touched on what JJ was saying, too.
07:25The crowd was phenomenal.
07:26Our fans were awesome.
07:28And that's what they want to see.
07:29They want to see the fight.
07:30And, you know, if we're down, we're back in the game.
07:33Offensively, we're executing.
07:34Like, just having them behind us is why you want to build that identity,
07:38that toughness, that competitiveness, that togetherness.
07:40And I think we're taking the right steps for that.
07:43So now, the Liberty, they are 15-12 at the All-Star break.
07:47Matty will be headed to Chicago, which you will be covering all of that.
07:51Another flight for you.
07:52Just racking up, racking up the miles here.
07:53Second of the miles, yeah.
07:54Okay, so they're 15-12, right?
07:56They've won two in a row here at the break.
07:58You just talked about their identity, how in previous years we've seen them as an offensive team.
08:02They're 6th in the league in offensive rating.
08:04They're 6th in the league in defensive rating.
08:06It's kind of mid, which is where they are right now.
08:10How do you evaluate or grade this Liberty team through the first half of the season?
08:15I think I want to give them, like, a solid B.
08:20Like, you know, overall, maybe that's a little bit optimistic.
08:22But I think that they've shown some, like, really great moments of things clicking and things coming together.
08:30They win the Commissioner Cup, which, you know, is a trophy that you can celebrate and stuff.
08:35Look at you.
08:36Look at you.
08:37You know how I feel about the Commissioner's Cup.
08:38We have come a long way.
08:40Matty, I didn't even ask Matty about it.
08:42I didn't even ask her about it.
08:44And she brings it up as an accomplishment.
08:46See, that is progress, my friend.
08:47I like it.
08:48I will give them their flowers for that.
08:50That is an accomplishment.
08:51It is.
08:52And they won eight straight.
08:54But July's been really rough.
08:56July's been rough.
08:57You know, they've had, like, they went a stretch of where they won only two of ten games.
09:02That was the worst stretch in the Brianna, Sabrina, JJ era.
09:07But, you know, things were looking a little dire for a little bit and a little scary.
09:12They kind of toughed it out.
09:14And now you're heading into the All-Star break with two wins.
09:16And you're kind of feeling a little bit better about this team.
09:18Yeah, you got to be.
09:19I almost wonder what your grade would have been had they not won these last two games.
09:23I know it wouldn't have been a B.
09:24It would have been pretty rough up there.
09:28Now, look, the All-Star break can come at a good time, right?
09:30You will have Stewie going out to Chicago.
09:33JJ will also be out there.
09:35Sabrina Nescu will not be out there because her invite was too late for the three-point shootout.
09:39She said she didn't get an invite.
09:40Excuse me.
09:41I'm not even about to wait.
09:42She didn't even get the invite.
09:43So, there we go.
09:44That's it, but don't want to be inaccurate on that.
09:47Does this break come at a good time for any players like Sab?
09:50I know she's rolling right now, so some people may look at that and say this break is not the
09:54best for her.
09:55But she has dealt with coming back from an injury.
09:58Pauline Astier, we've seen a little, you know, seems like fatigue from her.
10:02Fatigue, yeah.
10:02Might be hitting that rookie wall here.
10:03I asked her about that, yeah.
10:04Yeah.
10:04And what did she say?
10:05What did she say to you about that?
10:06When I asked Pauline about that, because obviously this is the first time playing year-round basketball in the WNBA,
10:11which is obviously different than European basketball in a lot of different ways.
10:16And I think she just said she is tired.
10:19And she's excited to have three days off where she can just, like, unplug and enjoy some time with, I
10:25think she said she's going to go hang out with a friend or something and maybe get away a little
10:29bit.
10:29And so I think she seemed in these last few games to maybe hit that rookie wall.
10:36You know, look, she's defensively, like, they're relying on her to pick up, you know, really early on.
10:42And she's been pretty, like, she puts a lot of effort into defense, which I think is something that, like,
10:49she should be, you know, lauded for.
10:51Obviously, she gets herself into a little bit of foul trouble.
10:53That's an adjustment that she is still working on making.
10:56WNBA games are called totally different than European games.
11:00And so that is an adjustment for her offensively.
11:03Like, they're using her as, like, a primary facilitator at times.
11:05And ball handler, she gets downhill a lot.
11:07And so I think, you know, it's just she does look a little gassed.
11:11Is there anybody else who feel like this break is coming at a good time for them where they can
11:14have that sort of reset on this team?
11:16I feel like a lot of players, right?
11:18Because I even think of, like, Sabrina.
11:20Yes, she's been on a good run.
11:22But, like, this might be a good time to just, like, and she said that today.
11:26Like, take a step back.
11:27She has a clean slate going into the All-Star break.
11:29She feels good about where she is.
11:30And then maybe she can pick up and, like, everyone kind of pick up and feel like they're good in
11:35a new spot and really make that second half push.
11:38And I think, like, Breanna Stewart, I mean, I feel bad that she has to play in this All-Star
11:41game.
11:42Because she's been doing a lot.
11:43Because she's been doing a lot.
11:44And she's someone that could use a weekend off.
11:46Yes.
11:48And even JJ, I mean, give credit where credit's due.
11:51I mean, she's picked up two double-doubles in the last games.
11:54And she's been really committed.
11:57And we've seen her be more locked in for the full, like, 40 minutes and not allow, like, the way
12:02the game is calling to really affect her.
12:05As it sometimes has in the past.
12:07And, you know, I could go down the whole roster.
12:09I feel like even, like, the coaches, I feel like they need a break.
12:11Coaches need a break, too.
12:12Yeah.
12:13You know who doesn't get a break?
12:14Maddie.
12:14No breaks for Maddie.
12:16No breaks for us.
12:16No breaks for Maddie, for sure, who's traveling to Chicago, as I mentioned before.
12:19I guess last thing, Maddie, before we get you out of here and you get on the road to Chicago,
12:24what does this team need to do to build on what we've seen here, these last two wins?
12:29Because the last couple episodes we've talked, it's been a little, like, I don't know where this team is.
12:33I won't say doom and gloom, but now it seems like there's a little bit of positivity.
12:38What do they need to do coming out of the break?
12:39You'll be right back on the road for a three-game road trip.
12:42What do they need to do to continue this momentum and hopefully traject upward rather than straightener up and down?
12:49I think you just said it.
12:51When you win in the way that they've won these last two games, not only does it give you some
12:55confidence, but, I mean, in a lot of ways, it just, like, reminds you that you can do this, right?
12:59Like, when you're in those losing streaks, even though, like, four-game losing streak is not that significant of a
13:06losing streak, as it could be a lot worse, as some teams find themselves in,
13:12it can feel like winning is so much harder once you're, like, in that hole trying to, like, get that
13:17first one back, right, to, like, break the streak.
13:19And so I think it's just about building on this momentum, like, continuing to work on things offensively.
13:25I think there's some things that they can do better and maybe adding a little bit more, like, creativity and
13:31just executing on both ends at a better and more consistent level.
13:36I mean, people always love to ask athletes, like, well, you were really great in that last minute or two
13:41of that game.
13:42Why can't you do that for the full 40 minutes?
13:43And I think that—
13:44Because it's hard.
13:45It's hard.
13:46Like, if you could just do it for 40 minutes, you would do it for 40 minutes, like, you know?
13:51But I think there was, like, a lot of positive takeaways from these.
13:54And you—again, as we've kind of been saying this whole episode, not doom and gloom, which is kind of nice.
13:59It's good to write about a win.
14:01Yes.
14:01Or two wins, in this case.
14:03And because after that Indiana game, it felt really—it felt like things were not in a good place or heading
14:09in a good direction.
14:10Yeah.
14:10So it's good that they've rioted their ship.
14:13It did feel down.
14:14You and I talked about, you know, off-air about that, just how it felt that third quarter in that
14:18game.
14:19And now there's some good vibes.
14:20I know both one-point wins, both comeback victories.
14:22But if you're a fan of the Liberty, you've got to feel good about where this team is heading into
14:27the All-Star break.
14:27Heading to the All-Star festivities will be our own Madeline Kennedy show.
14:32We'll have fantastic coverage from there.
14:33That's going to do it for this episode of Liberty Lately.
14:36For the great Madeline Kennedy, I'm Dexter Henry.
14:38We'll catch you next time, everybody, on another edition of Liberty Lately.
14:42We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:43We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:44We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:45We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:46We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:47We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:47We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:48We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:48We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:48We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:49We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:49We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:49We'll catch you next time, everybody.
14:50You
Comments