The New York Liberty will be taking on the Atlanta Dream for Game 2 of their playoff series in a few hours now. Sabrina Ionescu and the NY ladies were expected to show up in full throttle, but sadly disappointed fans when the whole team seemed to unravel in the third quarter.
The strange part was that the Liberty played stunningly in the previous game against the Lynx, pushing Minnesota out of the playoffs. Obviously, fans expected the team to do the same or even better in the next matchup.
Erica L. Ayala and Alicia Jay recently discussed Liberty’s failure in the latest episode of their podcast and the analysts clearly outlined New York’s problem. Liberty was clearly lacking the energy that the Dream put up on the other end, which ultimately led to their failure, as pinpointed by Ayala.
“I did notice that the urgency wasn’t there, maybe it was fatigue. Everybody’s tired. At this point in the season, you gotta find that next level,” Erica L. Ayala said.
I totally agree with this, since New York Liberty did not play with the same intensity in Game 1, especially when compared to the previous matchup vs. Minnesota. Jonquel Jones too highlighted this in the post-game presser, which indicates just how fatigued the players actually are.
This is the biggest problem that the Liberty needs to solve when heading into Game 2. After losing in the first game and also getting plenty of time to rest, the Liberty squad will be surely coming into Game 2 with more energy.
At the same time, their core players will also need to be ready to see more playing time, which means that they will need to work on their mental strength here. This means players will need to constantly be reminded to focus on the ‘here and now’, use their breathing to regulate their energy levels and boost their energy with plenty of amplifying triggers.
New York Liberty Sees Blessing With Allisha Gray’s Injury
The New York Liberty will be entering this new game with their hopes up, especially because of Atlanta’s updated roster. Allisha Gray is out of the postseason as a result of a hand injury and this leaves the Dream with slightly lesser power than before.
Nevertheless, the Dream is still a major threat, especially with Angel Reese’s superb defensive skills on display this postseason. No matter which team you are supporting, it is clear that the game will be a nail-biting thriller.
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