Sandy Brondello didn’t hesitate before the game.
This could be a preview of the WNBA Finals.
The Liberty have been top of the table since the start of the season.
The Sun, who had defeated the Liberty in six consecutive meetings since last season’s semifinal series, were 3.5 games behind them.
But compared to each of these meetings, there was one difference on Saturday, and a significant one at that.
Connecticut completed a high-profile transfer before the August 20 deadline that doesn’t happen often in the WNBA.
They acquired Marina Mabrey, one of the league’s best 3-point shooters, from the Sky and added her to a lineup that already included Alyssa Thomas and DeWanna Bonner.
It will take some time for Mabry to fully integrate into Connecticut’s lineup, but in a game at Barclays Center in the last regular-season meeting between these two teams before a possible playoff clash, the Liberty learned how difficult it could be to defeat the newly formed Sun.
Mabrey finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists to help the Sun to a 72-64 victory over the Liberty, ending their eight-game winning streak and holding them to a season-low point total.
The Sun’s defense also prevented the Liberty from finding their rhythm on offense.
Breanna Stewart finished with 15 points, Leonie Fiebich added 14, while Jonquel Jones only managed 10 points on 4 of 10 hits.
The Liberty attempted 32 three-point shots but only made seven of them.
After Stewart made a jump shot in the first quarter, Mabrey responded with her first jump shot of the game and circled around a block to make a three-pointer later in the third.
The Liberty double-covered them once in the second quarter to create chaos and force a turnover, but Jones lost the ball at the other end – and Mabrey then hit a three-pointer in transition.
Nelson-Ododa during the defeat of the Liberty on August 24, 2024. Michelle Farsi/New York Post
“Their whole identity isn’t going to change,” Brondello told the Sun before the game, adding Mabrey. “They got a player that they thought could help them, and I agree with that. They don’t shoot as many 3s as we do, and that was an area that could complement their team. And Marina is one of the best 3-point shooters. She loves the moment, too.”
As the Liberty attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter and the Sun continued to extend their lead until it reached double digits, Mabrey stepped into the penalty box and committed a foul that was ultimately ruled a foul against Jones.
Liberty’s offensive was also pretty much uncoordinated.
They trailed by just two points after the first quarter, but by the end of the third, the deficit had grown to seven points. Sabrina Ionescu – who finished with 12 points – missed her first six three-pointers before sinking a deep shot near the logo as the shot clock ran out and the final seconds of the half ticked away.
There were also a lot of costly turnovers, such as when Stewart got possession of the ball late in the fourth quarter but then gave the ball right back to Bonner on what appeared to be a pass.
If the Liberty and the Sun meet in the playoffs, there will again be some lineup changes.
Mabrey could have already worked his way up into Connecticut’s starting group by then.
Betnijah Laney-Hamilton – the Liberty’s defensive anchor who participated in warmups with the team but did not play – will return Monday for the first time since July 6.
In the same response, however, Brondello pointed out that this could be a preview of the finals and that the Liberty had won all three meetings this year, warning not to “give them hope”.
But that’s exactly what happened.
