WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart will keep chasing her third championship ring and the Liberty’s first Wednesday night in Downtown Brooklyn.
Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP
The New York Liberty hope to welcome another record-setting crowd to Downtown’s Barclays Center Wednesday night, and send their fans home with the dream of celebrating the franchise’s first-ever WNBA title this weekend in Las Vegas.
After staving off elimination here Sunday before the highest recorded attendance in league history, the Liberty will host the defending champion Las Vegas Aces for Game 4 of the best-of-5 WNBA Finals.
“I’m proud of the effort and the commitment that we had. Now, we have to do it again,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said after New York kept its title drive alive with a stirring 87-73 triumph over Vegas in Game 3 Sunday before a legion of 17,143 Brooklyn basketball fanatics.
Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP
After dropping the first two contests in Sin City, the Liberty (1-2) bounced back into contention as Jonquel Jones spearheaded the New York attack with 27 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
“It helps when you’re at home, what an amazing crowd,” Brondello gushed. “It was great all the support we got, and hopefully we’ll take that home-court advantage Wednesday as well.”
Jones drained four of the Liberty’s series-high 13 3-pointers as New York snapped Vegas’ undefeated run through the postseason and denied the Aces in their initial shot at becoming the league’s first back-to-back champions since the 2001-02 Los Angeles Sparks.
“Just so really, really proud of JJ,” Brondello said of Jones, who lost the WNBA Finals to the Aces last year as a member of the Connecticut Sun.
“She’s so important for us, her will to win,” Brondello added. “She’s a superstar this girl. … We’re gonna need her to do it again on Wednesday.”
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