Liberty ‘Dream’-ing of first-round sweep

Host Atlanta for Game 2 at Barclays Center Tuesday

September 24, 2024 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Leonie Fiebich certainly didn't look like a rookie Sunday at Barclays Center, scoring a career-high 21 points in her first career WNBA playoff appearance. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty

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The New York Liberty don’t want to go to Atlanta.

They proved it by leading Game 1 from start to finish Sunday before an enthusiastic crowd of 12,115 at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Leonie Fiebich backed up her WNBA All-Rookie Team status by pouring in a career-high 21 points on near-perfect shooting and reigning Most Valuable Player Breanna Stewart added 20 points and 11 rebounds as the Liberty began their postseason push with an 83-69 rout of the Dream.

Seeking this organization’s first-ever league championship, the Liberty (1-0) roared out to a 13-4 lead by sinking their first six shots.

By the end of the opening period, they had opened a 29-16 cushion, thanks to a 14-0 burst that All-Star guard Sabrina Ionescu capped with seven straight points.

“I thought our intensity was incredible,” noted Stewart, who won two WNBA crowns and Finals MVPs in Seattle, but is still seeking Title I in Brooklyn.

Fiebich, hardly a pure rookie considering her experience playing professionally in Germany, was installed into the starting five ahead of future Hall of Fame point guard Courtney Vandersloot.

“We made the decision (Saturday),” New York coach Sandy Brondello intimated.

“I think Leo had a great game,” she added. “We’ve raved about her contributions all season long and it’s a no-brainer, but she always stays ready regardless, start or coming off the bench. She’s always locked in.”

She certainly was in Game 1.

The 6-foot-4 sharp-shooter went 7-of-8 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from 3-point range. She also knocked down all three of her free throws and picked up a pair of steals in 25 scintillating minutes.

“I think we came out with a different mindset of being just really physical out there and set the tone,” said Fiebich, who was limited to three points in 11 minutes during Thursday’s regular season-ending loss to Atlanta here.

Whether Brondello was holding Fiebich back last week as a Game 1 secret weapon, or simply trying to give the Dream (0-1) a different look following their 78-67 win at Barclays, everything seemed to work because Fiebich was ready to roll.

“Nothing phases Leo,” Brondello insisted. “That’s what you love about her. “It’s regular season, it’s a playoffs, she brings the same mentality day in and out. Practice as well. She’s a professional and that’s what you want. So it was never any fear.”

Only Atlanta had to be scared after watching Fiebich nail her first six shots and become the first rookie in WNBA history to make at least four 3s without a miss in her playoff debut.

“I was just happy that we moved the ball and my teammates found me,” Fiebich said.

“They’re leaving me open a little bit, they have to guard everybody else on my team,” she added. “So I can take advantage of that. Obviously it helps if you see your first ones go in.”

Ionescu finished with 17 points and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 10 for the Liberty, who would love to finish the Dream off here Tuesday night without facing the daunting task of taking Game 3 in Atlanta Thursday.

“Atlanta is trying to steal a game here and we don’t want that to happen and really that’s what we said,” Stewart revealed. “And what I said before is, ‘There’s no more time to talk about it, like this is it.'”

Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart and the Liberty hope to run Atlanta out of Brooklyn Tuesday in Game 2 of their best-of-3 playoff series. AP Photo by Corey Sipkin

Rhyne Howard scored 14 points and former New York standout Tina Charles added 12 for the Dream, who will have their entire season on the line come Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. tip-off.

“[Fiebich] shot the ball really well,” Atlanta coach Tanisha Wright ceded.

“A lot of those opportunities came in transition and from us being in scramble mode. Their physicality really bothered us. They punched us in the mouth. … Now, we have to respond.”

The Liberty aren’t interested in a flight down South, even if it is a 2 1/2-hour trip to State Farm Arena.

“I think that to have the crowd that we had here definitely made that a lot easier,” Stewart said.

“But holding ourselves accountable knowing that especially last game we didn’t play the way that we wanted to and making sure that that we come out, especially after just losing to this team, we knew we could kind of be into them a little bit more and let our defense dictate our offense.”

Though she was relegated to back-up duty, Vandersloot still made history in the opener.

Her long pass to Stewart for an easy layup in the fourth quarter gave her 365 career helpers in the postseason, passing WNBA icon Sue Bird for the all-time playoff record.

“It’s tough to chase Sue,” Vandersloot said of Bird, who was in attendance on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush. “She’s a winner, that’s why she has a lot of playoff assists. For her to be in the building, that’s pretty special.”

Stewart noted Vandersloot’s professionalism and unselfishness in being limited to 16 minutes off the bench at the start of this championship quest.

“She wants what’s best for this team and knows that whenever it turns out to be on the court, she’s gonna contribute,” Stewart said of the veteran playmaker.

What’s best for the Liberty is a quick series and some rest before a best-of-five to decide the Eastern Conference representative in this year’s Finals.

Otherwise, New York will have to hit the road later this week with its dream season in serious peril.

“We’re gonna need that bench as we move, hopefully go for a long playoff (run),” noted Brondello.

Liberty point guard Courtney Vandersloot came off the bench to set the WNBA all-time record for playoff assists in Game 1. AP Photo by Corey Sipkin

GIVE ME LIBERTY: The Liberty shot a franchise-record 73 percent during the first quarter of Game 1. Also, they went nearly 7 1/2 minutes without missing a shot to begin the contest, setting a WNBA record for longest stretch to start a playoff game with perfect shooting, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. … All-Star power forward Jonquel Jones, New York’s top postseason performer in 2023, had nine points, seven boards and three assists in Game 1. .. Game 2 will be televised on ESPN. Game 3, if necessary, is in Atlanta Thursday.