No. 7 seed new york liberty upset chicago skySky is the reigning champion after winning the title last season as the sixth seed.
Game 2 returns to Chicago on Saturday. Tip time is noon ET. on ESPN. If the series goes to Game 3, go to the Barclays Center in New York to give Liberty home-court advantage.
This is Liberty’s first playoff victory since September 23, 2015. They made the playoffs last year, trailing the Phoenix Mercury in the final seconds and trailing by one point. 98 points is a franchise playoff record.
New York trailed by 6 with 3:32 on the clock. They clattered to close out the game with his 13-0 run. The game started with another beautiful pass from Marine He Johannes to a wide open Natasha Howard in paint. Chicago missed 10 of his 11 shots in the final, turning the ball over on key occasions.
Sabrina Ionescu hit a 3-point shot and Howard made an easy-looking basket to give the Liberty a 92-91 lead. Ionescu’s jumper near the corner forced Sky to time out at 2:01 on the clock. Rainey made his own shot to take his 5-point lead from timeouts.
How Liberty won Game 1
Neither team held a double-digit advantage at any point in the contest. It’s a predictable scenario after his last three games the team has played. These two teams are good at moving the ball offensively and have shown it in close matches.
A turnover ruined Sky in the second quarter and put them to play from behind throughout the second half. New York continued his 11-0 run, beaten by Kalia his copper, and he scored 14 points out of six Sky his turnovers to take the locker room 48-45. .
Dolson threw a jumper and a 3-pointer into the breakout before Betnija Rainey completed a 4-point play to take the lead 55-47. Copper stopped the streak again with another drive-and-one with an assist from Courtney Vanderthroat.
Copper and Chicago continued to take the lead as Emma Meesseman hit the final bucket of the quarter to give Sky a 74-73 lead in the final 10 minutes. It was the first lead since the second quarter.
Chicago had 10 turnovers and couldn’t keep up with Liberty’s 3-pointer. New York was crossing arcs fueled by probable and unlikely sources in 11 of her 25 (44%). Ionescu has him 3/6 (he’s 8/12 overall), and last season’s title-winning center Dolson with Sky hit his 3/4 from range.
Ionescu has 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals. Dolson scored 13 points with seven rebounds, three assists and one block. Howard had 22 points (9-of-17), seven rebounds, three assists and one block.
What Sky Can Do Even Series
Chicago got a big boost from being the 2021 Finals MVP in Copper. Copper had 21 points and 8 rebounds on 7 of his 14 shooting. He fell midway through the third inning, hurting his right knee, but overcame his athletic trainer and returned to the game. In less than a minute, she was hit hard.
Allie Quigley (18 points), Candice Parker (17 points, 10 rebounds), Bandersloat (13 points, 10 assists) and Azra Stevens (16 points as a substitute) all stepped up. Quigley hit a shot in the midrange and made a highlight her reel in a crucial block, but needed her shot for her 3-pointer. Her four-time 3-point contest champion she went 2-for-7.
At the end of the third Meesseman’s bucket looked like it could turn the momentum in Sky’s way. The 2019 Finals MVP needs to make a bigger footprint for Chicago to win Game 2.
Sky vs. Liberty Series Schedule
Game 1: Liberty 98, Sky 91
Game 2 (Saturday): New York, Chicago, noon ESPN
Game 3 (Tuesday if desired): Chicago, New York, 8 PM ET on ESPN2
WNBA Playoffs 2022: Follow all Round 1 action live including TV schedules, lineups, injury reports and more
