Story by
Liberty coach explains daring Breanna Stewart strategy amid shocking Lynx sweep
- Story by
- Liberty coach explains daring Breanna Stewart strategy amid shocking Lynx sweep
Liberty coach explains daring Breanna Stewart strategy amid shocking Lynx sweep originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The New York Liberty needed everything Breanna Stewart had.
Advertisement
The superstar forward was asked to play all 40 minutes on Tuesday night as the New York Liberty sought a sweep of the Minnesota Lynx to open the WNBA playoffs.
It's safe to say it was worth it.
MORE: Liberty make WNBA history by stunning No. 1 Lynx in playoff sweep
The WNBA playoffs still go through Stewart, who scored a game-high 21 points while playing every second of Game 2 as the Liberty became the first 8-seed in WNBA history to knock off a top seed in the first round of the playoffs.
The Liberty's 87-71 win at Barclays Center seals a third trip to the semifinals in four years for New York, who will play either the Atlanta Dream or the Washington Mystics with a WNBA Finals berth on the line.
Advertisement
Asked to explain his daring strategy with Stewart, Liberty head coach Chris DeMarco told reporters Tuesday "it's that time" to push the envelope in search of a championship.
"We feel we need her on the floor," DeMarco said. "We manage it all season for this."
In a tinge of irony, Stewart and Jonquel Jones were the only two of the Liberty's All-Star quartet to avoid injury this season. The two combined to miss only three games while Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally struggled for health and consistency.
Though Stewart didn't quite replicate her brilliant, historic Game 1 performance in Minneapolis, the three-time WNBA champion did more than enough to help the Liberty to a surprisingly-straightforward win over the Lynx juggernaut in Game 2.
Advertisement
While Minnesota heads to the offseason with a ton of questions over its future direction , New York will keep on partying. It's largely thanks to a daring strategy -- and a star player good enough to execute it.
