New York Liberty @ Connecticut Sun - 7/11/18

[Shades]

Uncasville, CT - 11:30 AM ET
TV: NBA TV, NBCSB, MSG+

Video:
WNBA League Pass

Game page:
07/11/18: New York Liberty @ Connecticut Sun - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

ESPN Gamecast:
WNBA NYvCONN,7/11/2018 - ESPN

 

[BigBird]

Both teams having some good play, especially when the perimeter ball movement is quick and crisp. A flock of Geno-ex-pats have been getting minutes. Kia, Kiah, Tina, Tuck, Bria. Makes a bit of a statement.

 

[psconn]

Sun give the game away at the free throw line. 'nuff said.

 

[JellyBean]

Watched a little bit of the game. Connecticut looked like they were going to pull away with the "W" for awhile there. Courtney Williams is scary good.

 

[Rixxx]

When Courtney's name comes up I am always thinking of the elevation she gets on her jump shots.
Once again, Kia Vaughn is scoring valuable points in the third quarter. Crunch time, during small comeback, Kia is on the bench. Just don't get it. I guess the focus had to be on Zellous and Prince as Charles to my recollection was not blowing the doors off in the fourth quarter. A win is a win.

 

[BostonCanuck]

When Courtney's name comes up I am always thinking of the elevation she gets on her jump shots.
Once again, Kia Vaughn is scoring valuable points in the third quarter. Crunch time, during small comeback, Kia is on the bench. Just don't get it. I guess the focus had to be on Zellous and Prince as Charles to my recollection was not blowing the doors off in the fourth quarter. A win is a win.

Unfortunately, Kia continues to be an offensive liability for her team, missing shots at key moments. She was 1 for 4 today from the field. And her defensive prowess does not stand out in the pro game quite as much as it did in college. She'll earn additional playing time if she can knock down more of the shots she's taking.

 

[JoePgh]

Does anyone know why Morgan Tuck got only 3 minutes of playing time despite having had a 20-point game recently?

Obviously I wasn't at the game. Some of us have to work for a living.

 

[Shades]

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Does anyone know why Morgan Tuck got only 3 minutes of playing time despite having had a 20-point game recently?

Obviously I wasn't at the game. Some of us have to work for a living.

I think Morgan basically plays the same position as Alyssa Thomas. Now that Thomas
is back in the lineup, Morgan's minutes are bound to suffer.

 

[shizam]

Vegas (9-12) is a game and a half back of the Sun (10-10) for the 8th playoff spot. Two back in loss column

 

[Roger G]

Oh no! The Sun is falling!

Morgan Tuck not getting much playing time is pretty ridiculous with the way she has been playing. Miller should have found a way to get her in more. It probably would have made the difference.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Alyssa is back, Courtney is back, and the Sun still lost. This is the weirdest season!

 

[emjay]

Heartbreaking ending to this one - now I know how Liberty fans felt back in June, after Stricklen's buzzer beater.

The worst/most hilarious part was Bob Huessler's play-by-play in those final seconds. He kept saying things like, 1.8 seconds is more than enough time to get up a good shot, and wouldn't it be sweet revenge for the Liberty to do what the Sun did to them earlier this season. I was thinking, DUDE! Please stop writing this screenplay, this is NOT the movie I wanna be watching!

And then everything he said came true!

 

[psconn]

Alyssa is back, Courtney is back, and the Sun still lost. This is the weirdest season!

JJ is still MIA. The Sun desperately need 2017 JJ to make a postseason impact. The hope of this season was adding former ROY and All-star Chiney to the three 2017 All-Stars and future All-Star Courtney... so far the enormous potential of those players has not been realized.

Today was the game that should been a big statement game against a struggling Liberty team. "We're home, we're whole and we're on the rise." The statement that was actually made today was much different.

Now comes a murderer's row of top teams and teams on the rise... PHO, MIN (away), ATL, SEA, DAL, WAS before the All-Star game. If a sense urgency and mental toughness was lacking before today's game, they better find it now. Scary playoff teams don't bonk on 10 free throws.

 

[bballnut90]

JJ is still MIA. The Sun desperately need 2017 JJ to make a postseason impact. The hope of this season was adding former ROY and All-star Chiney to the three 2017 All-Stars and future All-Star Courtney... so far the enormous potential of those players has not been realized.

Today was the game that should been a big statement game against a struggling Liberty team. "We're home, we're whole and we're on the rise." The statement that was actually made today was much different.

Now comes a murderer's row of top teams and teams on the rise... PHO, MIN (away), ATL, SEA, DAL, WAS before the All-Star game. If a sense urgency and mental toughness was lacking before today's game, they better find it now. Scary playoff teams don't bonk on 10 free throws.

Jones doesn’t play well alongside Chiney. She basically has become a perimeter 4 and doesn’t get down on the block because Ogwumike needs space to get position inside and seal her defender. Chiney doesn’t have any range, so it prevents JJ from being effective on the block because Chiney really isn’t a threat outside of 7-8 feet. On the flip side, JJ seems perfectly content being a perimeter player like A. Stevens is. Neither Chiney or JJ are strong enough passers to run an effective high low either. Sun should trade one of the players IMO for a better PG if Clarendon doesn’t blossom. Maybe JJ and Tuck for Vandersloot? JJ with Stef would be a great post combo and Tuck could be a good backup forward.

J Thomas has not shot well this year, and players like Tuck/Jones are both good enough to be productive pros but Connecticut is deep so they’re buried on the bench. Connecticut also lacks a reliable bail out go to player. A. Thomas is physical but isn’t the best finisher (or FT shooter) and she is better as a distributor than as a creator for herself. Chiney is extremely effective inside but cant create unless she gets the ball in good position inside, J. Thomas is a streaky shooter, etc. Williams looks like the best option.

Sun are definitely at risk of missing the playoffs if they continue to struggle. Vegas is on the upswing.

Liberty looked better today, as a number of players besides Tina stepped up. Having a second and third option like Prince and Zeallous will make a huge difference for NY. I thought Vaughn also looked very good in somewhat limited minutes. We’ll see if they can build on this win.

 

[emjay]

Why don't the Sun go back to what worked for them last year - starting Jasmine, Courtney, Strick, Alyssa and JJ? Well, put Chiney in JJ's place, she's earned it this season. JJ had some good games off the bench earlier in the season. A second line of Layshia, Rachel, Betnijah, Morgan and JJ sounds good, with Lexie and Brionna to spell out anyone and shake things up a little when needed.

Alyssa is so good at the things she's good at - rebounding and playmaking - and then so flawed in other ways. I know her shoulders are in bad shape, I know she's trying things to improve, like switching her shooting hand. But if only she'd hit a few more free throws. In college she was much more reliable at the line. I wonder if any kind of surgery could allow her to shoot like that again?

 

[bballnut90]

Why don't the Sun go back to what worked for them last year - starting Jasmine, Courtney, Strick, Alyssa and JJ? Well, put Chiney in JJ's place, she's earned it this season. JJ had some good games off the bench earlier in the season. A second line of Layshia, Rachel, Betnijah, Morgan and JJ sounds good, with Lexie and Brionna to spell out anyone and shake things up a little when needed.

Alyssa is so good at the things she's good at - rebounding and playmaking - and then so flawed in other ways. I know her shoulders are in bad shape, I know she's trying things to improve, like switching her shooting hand. But if only she'd hit a few more free throws. In college she was much more reliable at the line. I wonder if any kind of surgery could allow her to shoot like that again?

J. Thomas isn't playing as well as she was a year ago, Stricklen has great range but is too one dimensional to play as much as she did a year ago, A. Thomas is getting back into form, and Williams has had off the court issues which I'm guessing will take time to get that groove back with her teammates. Similar personnel, but different team on the court with Chiney vs. Jones. Switching one player like that, or even adding in All Star like Chiney can affect chemistry for better or worse. It's nothing at all against Chiney, but bringing in a new star means less PT or shots for other players, and on court chemistry gets altered. We saw this to a degree last year with Stevens in the lineup at UCONN, and I wouldn't be surprised if ND has some kinks to work through with Turner coming back.

Agree with Alyssa Thomas though...she just isn't a threat from beyond about 13-15 feet. She (like Gabby Williams) really needs to work on her midrange shot especially since she's so dynamic in other ways and it'll open up lanes for her. She should completely scratch her FT shooting style and just try something different. She needs to be much higher than 60% or she'll become a liability in close games.

Also, teams rarely go deeper than 7-8 in tight games. I don't think a second line is necessary but they need a suitable backup for PG, a wing, and a post. A good lineup for them might be Chiney, JJ, Thomas, Williams and Thomas, with Layshia backing up Jas, Strick on the wing and Tuck coming in as a stretch four while one of Chiney/JJ stays as the 5. I think the team will improve as A. Thomas gets healthier, but they have an uphill battle ahead. They lost a game today against a bottom feeder which might come back to haunt them.

 

[Carnac]

Vegas (9-12) is a game and a half back of the Sun (10-10) for the 8th playoff spot. Two back in loss column

A word to the Sun - "Don't look back, something might be gaining on you" - Satchel Paige.

 

[DishNSwish]

Oh no! The Sun is falling!

Morgan Tuck not getting much playing time is pretty ridiculous with the way she has been playing. Miller should have found a way to get her in more. It probably would have made the difference.

Not really, it wasn't a good matchup for her. NY plays centers and guards. They have one wing on the roster, Allen, and she played 1.8 seconds, literally.

Some games Tuck will come in and Bri Jones will sit. This game Jones was the post sub and did well.

Down the stretch though, it was the three guard alignment they played the most, with Jaz, Courtney, either Banham or Stricklen, with Chiney and AT.