Emma

Meesseman

Meeseman was the only Liberty player to score in double figures on a night in which New York’s offense struggled to score 60 total points. Meeseman’s offensive production came in just 18 minutes and primarily in the first quarter, where she tallied seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. From there, the former Finals MVP’s offensive contributions were minimal, as were those of the Liberty as a whole. The Liberty will likely need their veteran reserve to be productive again on Friday as they look to avoid elimination and advance to the second round of the playoffs.

While Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello described Stewart as a game-time decision after injuring her left knee during Game 1, the forward herself plans to be available. “They told me that structurally, everything looks OK. So my plan is to go,” Stewart said. According to her, an MRI revealed a strained MCL. Depending on the grade of strain, the healing process can take anywhere from a few days to eight weeks. Emma Meesseman’s role would expand if Stewart encounters any issues after playing 13 minutes off the bench in Game 1.

Stewart, who injured her left knee during Sunday’s series-opening win over the Mercury, did not participate in Tuesday’s practice. According to Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello, the star forward will be a game-time decision for Game 2. The good news is that scans of Stewart’s knee were “relatively clean,” according to Brondello, but she did not offer any specifics regarding the injury. If Stewart cannot play on Wednesday, Emma Meesseman would be the most likely replacement in the starting lineup. Meesseman played 13 minutes in Game 1, finishing with two points and eight rebounds.

Meesseman provided a scoring punch for the Liberty off the bench spacing the floor well from beyond the arc while cutting at all the right moments inside of the arc. She hit one three-pointer on a drive and kick from Natasha Cloud and scored at the rim off a couple of well placed passes by point forward Breanna Stewart. Meesseman finished the regular season shooting a career-high 57.2% from the field which is an impressive feat after she came to the Liberty mid-way through the season and had to learn a completely new playbook with limited practice time. On Thursday night Meesseman rebounded and facilitated the ball at a high level. She and Stewart led the Liberty with six rebounds a piece while Meesseman found three different teammates in Cloud, Sabrina Ionescu and Leonie Fiebich all on back-cuts and scores to the basket.

Stewart led the Liberty in scoring while shooting an efficient 64.3%, her highest percentage since returning from being out almost the entire month of August with a bone bruise in her right knee. Stewart now has 41 career games of scoring 20 points on at least 60% shooting from the field, the eighth-most in WNBA history, passing Tina Charles. She scored over half of her field goals off passes from Sabrina Ionescu where the Liberty guard found Stewart cutting to the basket, hitting some open jumpers and running in transition. Stewart also had three assists of her own to Ionescu in transition and to Emma Meesseman who cut off the ball in two different quarter court sets.

Fiebich matched her own personal records in scoring and three-pointers. It was the first time she she scored over 20 points in addition to racking up five rebounds in her WNBA career. When the Liberty’s offense was struggling to put the ball in the hoop in the first half, Fiebich rose to the challenge and knocked down a bunch of wide open threes in addition to taking slower front court players off the dribble. Shooting 60% from the field on Friday night, Fiebich had her most efficient night scoring the basketball since August 21 when she also shot 60% from the field against the Sky. All of but one of Fiebich’s field goals were assisted as Emma Meesseman, Natasha Cloud and Breanna Stewart all found her for her four shots on the perimeter.

Sabally won’t play on Friday, but she’ll dress and go through warmups for the second straight game as she gets ready to return to play. Head coach Sandy Brondello noted that both Sabally and Sabrina Ionescu are expected to play once the Liberty return to the east coast for their final two regular season games before the playoffs. Sabally will be a welcomed addition to the Liberty’s front court as she gives the team a different look in their front court. At her most healthy, Sabally presents a level of speed that’s difficult for opposing front court players to guard. But until then, the Liberty will rely upon quality minutes from Emma Meesseman in addition to Isabelle Harrison to give Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones a breather.

The Liberty will make another starting lineup change on Tuesday, replacing Emma Meeseman with Burke. Burke has started eight games this season for New York and is averaging career-highs in points, assists, field goal percentage and three-point percentage. She’ll offer floor spacing from the opening tip while Meeseman bolsters an already strong bench as New York looks to avoid a second straight loss. The Liberty is two games in the loss column ahead of the Valkyries.

Tuesday will mark the third straight game the former first-overall pick will miss as New York’s regular season nears its conclusion. The Liberty have split the two previous games that Ionescu has been sidelined for, and lost three of their last five games overall. Without the services of their nearly 19.0-point per game all-star guard, the Liberty will face a sixth-seeded Valkyries team on Tuesday that they hold just a 2.5-game advantage over in the standings. Marine Johannes is a candidate to replace Ionescu in the starting lineup, as is Emma Meeseman.

Cloud and Jones are back from injury, giving the Liberty a welcome boost. However, Sabrina Ionescu is out for the second straight game with a toe injury, resulting in Meesseman remaining with the starters. With Cloud and Jones available, Marine Johannès and Kennedy Burke head to the bench.