Add The New York Post on Google The Valkyries played Wednesday night in Connecticut, while the Liberty had four days off between games.
But if you didn’t know any better, you would’ve thought New York was the one playing the back-to-back in Thursday’s 79-60 loss to Golden State.
The Liberty knew they were facing a tall task in the Valkyries’ league-best defense.
Sabrina Ionescu even acknowledged at practice Wednesday that the game would be a major stress test for the Liberty’s offense.
And it failed miserably as the Valkyries held the Liberty to their lowest scoring output of the season.
Coach Chris DeMarco waved the white flag with 3:13 left and New York down 17, subbing off all the starters except Pauline Astier.
The frustration with the Liberty’s poor play started to bubble to the surface in the fourth, with Jonquel Jones and Breanna Stewart jawing with officials.
Jones’ foul that sent Veronica Burton to the floor was reviewed for a possible upgrade, though it was upheld as a common foul.
With the loss, the Liberty officially had been swept by the Valkyries in the regular-season series.
Not only is Golden State the only team New York hasn’t beaten this season, but the Valkyries are also responsible for the Liberty’s three lowest scoring games of the season.
On Thursday, the Liberty shot a season-low 30 percent from the field.
Coach Chris DeMarco thought his team had been preparing all season to face a hard-nosed team like the Valkyries.
“One of the reasons you run offense the way we do is that we’ve been able to prepare all season for this type of defense in terms of vacating spaces for our drivers and cutting at the right times,” he said pregame. “And if you don’t have anything, there should be somebody behind you. And so this is something not only for the Valkyries, but in general, as there’s been more space in basketball created that we want to be able to stretch defenses. So it’s really more about if we’re struggling to score, stick with it, and then defensively, let’s get our stops and run a little bit too, so they’re not set.”
The Liberty moved the ball well in the first quarter and trailed by only two entering the second.
Then, the offense got stagnant, and the Valkyries got hot.
Cecelia Zandalasini went 3-for-4 from deep in the second quarter to aid in the Valkyries outscoring the Liberty 21-11.
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In order to beat a team like the Valkyries, who thrive on elite defense, physicality and rebounding, a team has to beat them at their own game.
When the Liberty’s shots weren’t falling, they needed to tighten up their defense, grab rebounds and limit second-chance points. Getting to the free throw line would help, too.
The Valkyries opened the fourth quarter with six unanswered points, building their lead to 18.
What’s troublesome for the Liberty is that they might have to go through the Valkyries in order to reach the WNBA Finals, and right now, it’s clear Golden State has the edge.
