“It’s about being intentional and coming out ready to play,” says Sandy Brondello of New York’s defense in game three of the WNBA Finals.
“Where can we be a little bit more physical? Where can we push them out so they’re a little bit more uncomfortable? Where can we bring a crowd from? You have to be connected if you’re going to play like we did the other day.”
Grit and mindset come before scheme, says Brondello. The team played without the requisite intensity and focus in Sin City to keep the Aces in check. That changed in game three as New York tweaked their defense, but more importantly, found that level of necessary aggression that Brondello preaches.
Switches were tighter. Off-ball defenders kept their feet and eyes active. Help principles were executed with routine precision, and more importantly, air tight help and communication across the board.
“We’re built for team defense. We’ve got some good defenders, got some great defenders, got some defenders who we want to make sure we’re helping out. It’s executing the gameplan, but it comes with grit first,” says Brondello.
The Liberty cross-matched Sabrina Ionescu onto Kiah Stokes whenever they shared the court, keeping her off of Vegas’ guards, but also keeping more length and size on Chelsea Gray with Breanna Stewart as her primary defender. Ionescu was empowered to roam off of Stokes, making substantial plays off the ball much in the same way that Kelsey Plum played off of Courtney Vandersloot for the Aces in games one and two.
They were more aggressive and intentional in their screen coverages, denying rolls and sludging up the actual screen to force the ball out of Gray’s hands without creating an advantage.
When Gray was off the ball, Stewart helped hard off of her, playing the gaps tightly to ramp up New York’s help defense and provide some breathing room for their on-ball defenders in one on one match-ups.
Watch as Kelsey Plum starts to round the corner on Ionescu, but Stewart helps extremely hard off of Gray, almost as far off as if it were zone defense. Jonquel Jones splits the difference between Gray and A’ja Wilson, stunting hard to Gray as she’s run off the three point line, and then Stewart stops Wilson as she recovers and covers for Jones. The consistent multiple efforts were a difference maker.
Las Vegas ran roughshod over the Liberty with their ball movement and off-ball movement in the first two games of the series. Without the ability to stop the ball, New York struggled to keep themselves out of defensive rotation as the Aces drove and kicked repeatedly until they found their best looks. There was almost always a gap or exploitable moment in the halfcourt for Las Vegas.
Where so often, it felt like New York’s players were on an island in Las Vegas, they turned that on it’s head in game three, isolating Vegas’ players on offense, neutralizing cutting and driving lanes, finding connectivity as a defensive unit.
“I think that’s what was missing in game one and two, you know? We would have two to the ball that understood what was going on, but the other three (players) were kind of not as aware as they should have been,” says Breanna Stewart.
With more aggressive help and ball pressure (Betnijah Laney BLANKETED Jackie Young all game), Jones and Stewart in tandem were instrumental in altering and deterring shots in the paint.
“We know that no matter what happens, we’re gonna be there for each other,” says Jones of the trust the Liberty have in one another, particularly on the defensive end.
“Whether the game is going well or the game isn’t really going the way that we want it to go, we’re out there as a unit for a reason.”
As the Liberty seek to become the first team to return from an 0-2 series deficit to win the Finals, that trust, grit, and mindset will be paramount. New York and Las Vegas face off in a do or die game four on Wednesday at 8 p.m. Eastern at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
