New York Liberty 4-3, Waiting on NY “Prince-s”

The New York Liberty is, 4-3, this season after beating the Atlanta Dream, 73-64, in Atlanta, on Sunday. It was the second win for the Liberty over the Dream this season, having beaten them, 82-73, in their Home Opener, at Madison Square Garden, on June 5.

Despite their winning record, the Liberty seems to be struggling with two of their three losses coming against WNBA Eastern Conference rival, the Washington Mystics. The Mystics remain 4-2 overall and 3-1 in second place in the East. The Liberty follow the Mystics in third place; but noteworthy all three of the Liberty losses have come against Eastern Conference opponents.

The Connecticut Sun seemed to have regained their prominence this year and is beginning to separate themselves from the league at 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the East.

Although, center Tina Charles, the undisputed star of the Liberty, had her 100^th career double/double with 13 points and 12 rebounds against the Dream on Sunday; the 6’-4” center is certainly not scoring at her best of late.

Charles had only six points in the first-half against the Dream and a mere seven points by the third quarter. She is a consistent rebounder, while averaging 8.5 rebounds per game. Nonetheless, Charles, who led the Liberty in scoring their first four games while averaging over 17 points per game, has slowed to 14.5 ppg. Charles’s shooting touch has dwindled. She had six points against Washington on June 14 and six points against the Indiana Fever in the Liberty loss, 80-63, on June 19.

Charles shot a dismal 3-of-17 against the Mystics and 3-of-13 against the Fever. Furthermore, despite getting 13 points against the Dream in the Liberty win on Sunday; she shot merely 5-for-20 from the field.

But Charles does not blame anybody but herself for her recent poor shooting percentages. She explains that it is not opponents’ defenses stopping her, but it is she herself. “They did not do anything (to me),” said Charles, after her season low against the Mystics. “I am the only person that can stop me. I strongly believe that I am the only person that can stop me,” she emphasized.

Carolyn Swords, a 6’-6” center, signed with the Liberty after playing in Italy last year. It is her fourth WNBA season, after playing three seasons with the Chicago Sky (2011-2013).

Swords seems to have bought into Liberty Head Coach Bill Laimbeer’s style of play and has added some crucial minutes and scoring from the bench. Swords has scored in double-digits twice this season and was an intricale player in the Liberty’s win over the Fever on both sides of the court. Swords scored 12 points, grabbed six rebounds, snatched three steals and blocked five shots in the game.

Laimbeer was so impressed with Swords performance against the Dream; he spoke to her on the sidelines with a smile on his face towards the end of the game and tapped her shoulder as if to anoint her a Liberty contributor.

But fans however you assess the Liberty this season do not get discouraged because they have “an ace in the hole.” The Liberty made a blockbuster trade in the off-season and has yet to reap any benefits from that trade. They sent star guard Cappie Pondexter back home to Chicago and brought Chicago Sky star guard Epiphanny Prince, back home to New York.

You remember Prince, the Brooklyn native and Murry Bergtraum High School superstar, who scored 113 points against Brandies High School, one evening in 2006. Prince broke the record set by Cheryl Miller of 105 points scored by a girls’ high school basketball player in a game.

The former Rutgers University star is presently playing for Dynamo Kursk in Russia. The two-time WNBA All Star will join the Liberty, on Thursday, July 9, for the Liberty’s third meeting against the Mystics.

Prince is the Sky’s All-Time Leader in three-point field goals with 226 and has scored 2, 125 points in five years for the Sky. The 5’-9” guard is a prolific passer, defender and scorer. “The Prince-s” averages 14 points per game, 3.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds and two steals per game. She is the standard of a well-rounded WNBA player.

On the Liberty, Prince will reunite with her former Rutgers teammate Essence Carson, who is having a healthy and revitalized season. Carson is averaging 7.5 points per game, while logging over 21 minutes per game. She missed all last season due to knee surgery.

“I mean when Epiphanny gets back it will just elevate the team, especially on the offensive side of things,” commented Carson. “She draws a lot of attention and she can definitely pass the ball and that will make a lot of shots easier for us on the floor,” said Carson.

By adding Prince to a roster, which includes hustling and promising rookie Brittany Boyd, who is averaging 8.3 points and over three assists per game, as well as team leaders Tanisha Wright (9.7 points and nearly three assists per game) and Swin Cash (eight ppg.), with Charles, aspiring Swords, a healthy Carson and defensive menaces like Sugar Rodgers and Candice Wiggins, how could the Liberty not secure the second seed in the East this season?

“Every game is very difficult. We want to continue to have a solid home record. We have a lot of road games coming up in July, so it is important we take care of business at home, especially in Conference games,” said Laimbeer.