On a night when Sabrina Ionescu didn’t make a single 3-pointer out of eight attempts, it was timely scores from Natasha Howard and Han Xu and the New York defense that helped the Liberty overcome the Washington Mystics 77-65.
Two weeks ago when these two teams met, Washington’s drop coverage took away some of New York’s ball movement in exchange for difficult Ionescu jumpers.
However in last night’s game, they adjusted their coverage to take away more of Ionescu’s scoring coming off high pick-and-roll sets and off-ball screens. The Mystics still did include some drop defensive schemes, with their bigs out above the arc ready to contest Ionescu’s shot. However, coach Mike Thibault changed up the strategy a little bit, trapping Ionescu sometimes even as far out as 30 feet away from the basket.
Compare that to the June 3rd game, when Kennedy Burke and Shakira Austin are in the same position here, but both are more focused on dropping back rather than jumping out to contest the shot or trap the ball. Ionescu torched this coverage, going for 24 points on five made threes.
Ionescu burned the Mystics on several occasions from several feet beyond the arc in the first game. Whether in transition or against a set defense, Ionescu’s limitless range makes it difficult for team’s to scheme against the Liberty’s offense.
Compare that to a similar action in last night’s game. Notice how Mystics forward Tianna Hawkins makes a concerted effort to trap Ionescu at the point of attack, but that leaves Natasha Howard open and she can attack the paint virtually uncontested.
This is the “trade-off” coach Thibault was forced to make, where defending out above the perimeter takes away Ionescu’s scoring but opens up playmaking opportunities when she occupies two defenders.
On the pick-and-roll here from the June 3rd game, Myisha Hines-Allen is all the way at the level of the screen, but then is forced to stay with Ionescu and then scramble to recover in time to defend the roller. Elena Delle Donne makes the right play here to prevent the easy basket, but Ionescu makes an excellent pass to a wide open Stefanie Dolson, who is fouled to prevent the layup. The Liberty were in the bonus anyway, so it led to free throws.
Here is another possession late in the game, where Sabrina’s gravity occupies two defenders which creates a “2 on 1” opportunities that forces Delle Donne to make a difficult help and recover play that leads to a foul to prevent…
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