Point guard Courtney Vandersloot has helped the Liberty established a new standard for 20-plus assist games this season. Photo by Brandon Todd/New York Liberty
The New York Liberty have established a new WNBA standard for ball-sharing in a single season.
It may just help them share in the glory of the franchise’s first-ever championship next month.
Coming off their record-setting 33rd game of the year with at least 20 assists, the Liberty will visit the Dallas Wings on Tuesday night at College Park Center in search of their season-high seventh straight win.
New York (30-7) reached the 30-win plateau for the first time ever during Sunday’s come-from-behind 86-69 triumph in Chicago, using a 22-0 fourth-quarter run to put the Sky away.
The Liberty finished with 23 helpers, spearheaded by team assists leader Courtney Vandersloot.
The veteran point guard poured in 20 points, handed out 10 assists, grabbed five rebounds, picked up six steals and blocked a pair of shots.
She became the first player in league history to have a game with at least 20 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, five steals and five made 3-pointers.
“I said that she should have got five more rebounds,” jabbed Breanna Stewart, who led New York with 26 points and 14 rebounds on a night All-Star Sabrina Ionescu sat out with a sore calf.
“To see Sloot like this, to see her comfortable and in her element. That’s what we all want,” Stewart added.
Vandersloot leads the league with 8.1 assists per game during her first year in Brooklyn after 12 seasons with Chicago. She also ranks second in WNBA history in that category.
But the Liberty’s penchant for finding the open shooter didn’t happen overnight as the league’s newly constructed “Super Team” took a while to find its rhythm.
They are currently dancing to the tune…
Read the full article here
