Liberty fall to Dream with starters playing limited minutes in first-round playoff preview
The Liberty’s first-round opponent is set, yet New York got an alarming preview Thursday night of the upcoming series.Having already secured the No.1 playoff seed for the first time since 2015, there was nothing at stake for the Liberty.
But the Dream locked in their spot in the playoffs by beating New York, 78-67, at Barclays Center — three days before they face off in the postseason.It served as a study of sorts for the Liberty for what awaits when the postseason begins Sunday.It was also a study for Atlanta given the league-leading Liberty can falter if pushed.Entering Thursday’s game, the Liberty held a 3-0 record over the Dream this season and, while coach Sandy Brondello aimed not to “overplay” her starters to save their energy for the playoffs, the Liberty couldn’t find their shots or limit turnovers enough to earn a victory.The Dream got the job done without help from the Mystics or Sky, with whom they’re locked in a tight race for the eighth and final playoff spot.The playoff format also puts New York up against a familiar face — Tina Charles — and it’s what the former Liberty player of six seasons called a “perfect storm.” The Dream star, who became the WNBA’s all-time rebound leader with her third board of the game, recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.The Dream came out strong, putting up a front that forced the Liberty to shoot a dismal 40 percent and commit 17 frustrating turnovers that the Dream turned into 19 points.Bad passes, poor decisions, double dribbles, and travels punctuated the first half and it snowballed into the second half before the Liberty made the decision to play it safe, pulling Breanna Stewart after the first half and limiting minutes for the starters and Leonie Fiebich.Sign up for Starting Lineup for the biggest stories.
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