How Changes in the Starting Lineup Boosted the New York Liberty in the WNBA Playoffs | Playoffs

It was a banner day for The Sixth Woman as the WNBA playoffs tipped off Sunday. The presumptive favorites for Sixth Player of the Year — Leonie Fiebich and Tiffany Hayes, dazzled. Fiebich even earned the begin after spending most of her rookie season coming off the bench. Marina Mabrey had the most factors ever for a reserve in a playoff sport, with 27 in her first postseason look with Connecticut. And Minnesota’s Bridget Carleton, who began the season as a bench participant however landed in the beginning lineup through harm and by no means relinquished her spot, hit maybe the greatest shot of the day.

The stars had their moments of brilliance as effectively: Alyssa Thomas’ fourth playoff triple-double, Napheesa Collier’s career-high of 38, and A’ja Wilson’s 15-point third quarter buoying their groups to victory. But in the phrases of Wilson, the postseason requires the whole lot from everybody, together with lesser-known gamers subbing in to alter the power and the consequence of video games.

The fantastic thing about the playoffs is {that a} singular efficiency can have an effect on a whole collection. One sizzling evening — particularly in a three-game collection — could be the distinction between transferring on and going dwelling. With 4 Game 1s in the books and all 4 favorites in search of sweeps in Game 2, what different components can tilt the steadiness?

Change to Liberty beginning lineup key to Game 1 win

NEW YORK — Before the New York Liberty’s observe on Saturday, coach Sandy Brondello advised guard Courtney Vandersloot that she could be opening the postseason in a unique function. Vandersloot, who final got here off the bench at the starting of the 2017 season, could be sliding out of the Liberty’s beginning 5. Rookie wing Leonie Fiebich could be changing her in the opening group.

Vandersloot mentioned she appreciated the dialog with Brondello, who defined to the veteran .that she needed to at all times have two ballhandlers on the court docket.

“I think that this whole time that we’ve been here it’s been about sacrifice and whatever is best for the team as a whole,” Vandersloot mentioned. “I also understand that it takes more than just five, and if this is going to make us better, then I’m absolutely willing to do that.”

In Sunday’s begin to the first-round collection towards the Atlanta Dream, Fiebich heard her identify introduced in entrance of a sellout crowd of 12,115.  The change paid quick dividends.

Dream coach Tanisha Wright famous the influence of New York punching first as Atlanta didn’t deal with the physicality effectively. Fiebich, a 24-year-old rookie, opened the sport guarding Dream wing Rhyne Howard. Her size disrupted Howard, who tried to navigate round staggered screens. Howard missed her first seven photographs and didn’t rating till the starting of the third quarter as New York rolled to an 83-69 win.

Fiebich additionally was torrid on offense. New York made its first seven discipline objectives. After averaging solely 6.7 factors this season, Fiebich hit her first 5 photographs. She ended with a team-high 21, a brand new career-high, surpassing her earlier excessive of 16.

Fiebich may be new to the WNBA, however she is not any stranger to high-level competitors, whether or not that’s taking part in in the EuroLeague or in the latest Paris Olympics for her native Germany. She additionally gained MVP of the Spanish league this previous season. “We’ve raved about her contributions all season long, and it’s a no-brainer,” Brondello mentioned.

New York has discovered success with Fiebich in the beginning lineup earlier than. She began 15 regular-season video games, and Sunday’s starters ranked as the third-most used group for the Liberty this season, in keeping with WNBA stats. It had a plus-23.8 internet ranking. Because of Fiebich’s dimension, New York can swap virtually any display screen (they had been a plus-85.2 defensive ranking), and Fiebich’s presence on offense permits the Liberty to maintain the flooring spaced. Plus, she offers constant taking pictures from 3. “She’s throwing a pebble into an ocean,” Vandersloot mentioned of Fiebich’s sizzling taking pictures.

The final time Vandersloot got here off the bench was briefly at the begin of the 2017 marketing campaign with the Chicago Sky — so way back, she mentioned she didn’t bear in mind a lot about it. Against the Dream, she served as a main ballhandler. (In the second half, she additionally set a WNBA file for playoff assists, passing Sue Bird’s mark of 362.)

Brondello mentioned they may preserve the similar beginning lineup in Game 2.

The resolution marked the first chess transfer of the collection. Atlanta might be compelled to counter in Tuesday’s Game 2 to keep away from elimination. if it hopes to increase its season. Changes must be extra schematic — Wright talked about getting extra bodily, as an illustration, and heightening their tempo in the half-court so Atlanta can get right into a consolation zone — and never lineup-based.

“We don’t have any doubt that we can come out with a win on Tuesday,” Wright mentioned. “We’re still a confident bunch. We’re still positive.”

— Ben Pickman

The Fever want protection to even the collection

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Indiana has touted a helpful stat throughout its second-half turnaround — when the Fever permit 84 factors or fewer, they're 14-1, the lone loss coming towards Las Vegas in the closing week of the common season. When they concede extra, they're 6-20. Their offense can preserve them in most video games, however solely to a sure level.

The Fever’s offense didn’t get the job finished in a 93-69 loss in Game 1 to the Connecticut Sun. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell appreciated the seems they had been getting and are sure they'll generate – and convert – related makes an attempt all through the collection. But a group that averages 85 factors per sport can’t count on to win video games when the opponent will get 93. And it’s not as if Indiana’s turnovers had been jumpstarting Connecticut’s offense; the Fever had 14 turnovers that resulted in eight factors.

GO DEEPER

Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever present their youth in loss to Connecticut Sun

It was the half-court protection the place Indiana struggled. Connecticut received to the rim too simply, placing the Fever’s protection in rotation and discovering the gaps. It might be so simple as DeWanna Bonner driving into the lane, drawing assist, and kicking out to Mabrey in the nook. On one other event, Lexie Hull was caught defending Brionna Jones in the put up on a swap. Aliyah Boston came to visit to assist, however no one helped the helper, and Alyssa Thomas was alone below the basket.

Mitchell mentioned Indiana wanted to “err on the side of aggressiveness.” That means making use of some defensive strain on the perimeter to discourage drives and shield the paint. Defenses could be tempted to sag off towards Sun guards as a result of they aren't usually prolific or environment friendly 3-point shooters, however Connecticut used that house successfully in Game 1, so the Fever want to shut it off. Mabrey’s eruption could have been an anomaly — she scored the most factors off the bench in WNBA playoff historical past — however Indiana nonetheless allowed too many jumpers with no contest. Anyone can get in a rhythm towards that sort of protection.

— Sabreena Merchant

Did the Storm blow their finest shot?

Coming into Las Vegas with out their beginning middle on the day that A’ja Wilson was topped the unanimous WNBA MVP, lots of parts had been working towards the Seattle Storm.  And but, Seattle held Las Vegas to 9 factors in the first quarter. Wilson missed seven of her first eight photographs, Kelsey Plum missed her first six, and the Storm had been out-rebounding the Aces on each the offensive and defensive glass via the first quarter.

To take a lead into the fourth quarter, albeit a one-point benefit, and nonetheless lose by double digits was an amazing missed alternative for the street group. Seattle can’t depend on Wilson and Plum to shoot that poorly going ahead or for Las Vegas to go to the line so occasionally (11 foul photographs), particularly at dwelling.

Storm coach Noelle Quinn has been in this place earlier than, game-planning towards a really related Aces squad in 2022 in the postseason semifinals. That ought to terrify her, as a result of Las Vegas solely received higher as that collection progressed. Even in Game 1, you may see the Aces determine the Storm’s nail assist all through the sport, profiting from the gaps on the bottom, particularly Tiffany Hayes together with her cuts. They took away Nneka Ogwumike’s scoring by doubling her on the catch and denied Skylar Diggins-Smith the ball, forcing non-shooters to attempt to beat them.

The geometry of the court docket may change considerably if Jewell Loyd will get more healthy and Ezi Magbegor is offered to play, and Las Vegas gained’t be capable to promote out on one or two gamers if there are spacing threats round them. However, the Aces even have the next ceiling to hit if Jackie Young and Plum are extra environment friendly, they usually gained’t have the burden of elimination hanging over their heads.

Seattle performed certainly one of the finest defensive video games anybody has towards Las Vegas this season. It’s simpler to financial institution on the Aces progressing to the imply on offense than the Storm repeating the feat on protection.

— Sabreena Merchant

Stars on show in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS — Of course, it was Bridget Carleton from the left with a dagger of a 3 that gave the Lynx the cushion they wanted towards the Phoenix Mercury and blew the roof off the Target Center. Minnesota gained 102-95, opening its 2024 playoff run with the type of sport that felt tense, tone-setting and thrilling.

The opening day of the 2024 WNBA playoffs on Sunday was a constant drumbeat reminder: It’s WNBA playoff time. The stakes have been raised. And when the stakes go up, so too do gamers’ video games.

Before Carleton may get to her personal heroic second towards the surging Mercury, who appeared all however out of the enviornment halfway via the first half, it was Napheesa Collier’s time. Collier, who completed second in MVP voting, had an MVP-like efficiency for the Lynx, placing up a career-high 38 factors on 58 % taking pictures. She added 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block. Collier was practically good from the free throw line, going 13 of 14.

“That one missed free throw,” Collier joked, when reminded that she tied (as a substitute of broke) Seimone Augustus’ franchise file for the most free throws made in a Lynx sport.

Collier’s efficiency, record-setting and record-tying in its personal proper, was one other reminder of what the 2024 playoffs simply would possibly deliver over the subsequent few weeks. Despite how good she was, she practically received overshadowed. On the different finish of the flooring, Mercury level guard Natasha Cloud reminded everybody precisely why she has earned the nickname “Playoff Tash.” She has been a 43 % 3-point shooter in playoff video games in her profession regardless of being only a 31 % long-range shooter in the common season.

How does she so persistently do it?

“I love playoff time. You play a 40-game season. You work your ass off,” Cloud mentioned. “This is what it’s all about. All the offseason hours we put in, all the training camps, the ebbs and flows of the season, the injuries that we play through — this is all what it’s for. When these game lights come on in the playoffs, I’m extremely focused.”

Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis was no totally different as the 5-foot-10 guard as soon as once more elevated to Playoff Tash and, after Collier’s spectacular 23-point first half, placed on a present of her personal to make it a sport late. Cloud completed with 33 factors, 10 assists and 6 rebounds, including to the lore of her personal playoff resume.

It was Carleton, Collier and Cloud.

Left and proper, it appeared like gamers had been displaying their finest in the most essential video games of the season. If that is what Day 1 delivered, then simply think about what we would see in October.

— Chantel Jennings

(Photo of Leonie Fiebich and Courtney Williams: Evan Bernstein / Getty Images)