The Liberty had the contest tied. After clawing back from 15 down early on and expending not inconsiderable energy in the process, they found themselves finally leveling the score with just a little over five seconds left in regulation. The stage was set for overtime; the 16,024-strong crowd at the Barclays Center looked forward to a consolidation of the comeback.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans; following an outstanding play-action inbounds set drawn up by head coach Lynne Roberts, the Sparks claimed victory off a ridiculous over-the-head, back-to-the-basket shot from leading scorer Rickea Jackson that found the bottom of the net at the buzzer.
To be sure, the outcome of yesterday’s set-to didn’t need to be a nail biter for the Liberty. They hosted the supposedly overmatched Sparks, seven and a half games behind them in league standings. Still, it didn’t take long for them to stare at the visitors’ backsides — once again displaying their disturbing predilection to start slow and subsequently work themselves to shape. At any other time, they may well have gotten away with the hubris. Yesterday, however, they were handicapped by the sidelining of resident Swiss Army knife Breanna Stewart just three minutes into the contest due to a non-contact injury.
Meanwhile, the Sparks competed as if they were the favorites. No doubt, their confidence was buoyed by their league-leading four-match winning streak. Jackson carved up the surprisingly porous Liberty defense early and often even as steady hand Dearica Hamby controlled both paint and pace. They scored 35 in the first quarter alone, forcing the hosts to play catchup hoops even before the Gotham faithful had fully settled in.
Significantly, the Liberty’s response was forceful but uneven. It took lights-out shooting from All-WNBA second team selection Sabrina Ionescu and a sterling all-around effort from fellow starter Natasha Cloud to get them going, but they were hampered by a defense that never quite locked in. The rotations lagged by half a step, and by the final stretch, they were ripe for an upset. For all intents, the Sparks deserved the win, the absurdity of Jackson’s go-ahead basket notwithstanding.
Make no mistake. The Liberty are still firmly entrenched at the top of the East, a contender by any measure that counts. Stewart may need some time to convalesce, but they have post presence Jonquel Jones back and vital free agent pickup Emma Meeseman on the way. All the same, the loss isn’t one that can be filed away easily — at home and against a team they should beat on any given day. And it certainly doesn’t help that five of their next six outings are on the road.
At this point, the hope is that the tough schedule gets to knock the Liberty back to fighting form. Unless and until they learn to stay sharp from opening tip to final buzzer, they’ll continue to be vulnerable to upsets — and of the type that gets the Seafoam faithful to contend that they need not look beyond their own backyard to find their worst enemy.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
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