After a brief hiatus for the Summer Olympics, the WNBA is back. The New York Liberty benefitted from the extra time with the return of a healthy and rested Natasha Howard. Howard has been out of action for the Liberty since May. On Sunday night in a matchup against the Minnesota Lynx, Howard returned.
Howard’s return could not have gone better for her or for the Liberty. Despite being out of action since May, the forward scored 30 points on nearly 60 percent shooting (59.1%). On a night the Liberty only made 6 three pointers, Natasha Howard had 2 of those. One of the most encouraging things from the game is the chemistry that Howard and Sabrina Ionescu displayed.
Much of the fourth quarter contained lead changes between the Liberty and Lynx. The two teams were trading a one or two point lead back and forth. During that stretch Ionescu and Howard connected for a couple of buckets. Ionescu had six assists on the night, four of which were to Howard.
With just under three minutes remaining in the game and down one point, the Lynx went on a run to put the game away. The New York Liberty wound up losing to the Lynx 88-78.
Look Ahead Liberty
However despite the loss, there are a lot of good takeaways and reasons to be optimistic for the Liberty.
Sabrina Ionescu had a great night with 14 points, 6 assists, and 7 rebounds. Expect her playmaking abilities to be elevated in the return of Natasha Howard.
Betnijah Laney had a strong first half but struggled in the second. Laney finished with 12 points on 40% shooting. Laney just like Ionescu benefitted from Natasha Howard’s returns. 3 of Laney’s 4 assists were to the power forward.
New York’s Rookie of the Year candidate Michaela Onyenwere was in early foul trouble which hindered her game play. The Liberty would have certainly benefitted from extra playing time and being able to play a little more freely without the fear of foul trouble.
Plan on seeing an elevated level of offense for the New York team with the presence of Natasha Howard. Just about every starter was helped with her being on the floor.
While the Liberty offense is looking up, their bench did little to help them in that department on Sunday. The Liberty second unit only managed to score four points in their playing time. The Liberty will need more from them to win games as the second half of the season pushes on.
Offensively the Liberty looked great Sunday with their first unit. It is easy to be encouraged that that will only continue. Natasha Howard is an excellent addition to a New York offense with plenty of weapons. Don’t be surprised to see a run from New York in the second half of the season.
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